Ajrak number plate policy challenged in SHC

KARACHI: The Sindh government’s decision for Ajrak number plate enforcement has been challenged in the high court, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The cost of the new Sindh number plates, Rs1,850 for motorcycles and Rs2,450 for cars, has also drawn disapproval.

As per details, the decision of changes to motorcycle and vehicle number plates has been challenged by social activist Faizan Hussain in the SHC.

The petition names the Secretary of Excise and Taxation, the Motor Vehicle Registration Wing, and the DIG Traffic as respondents.

Faizan in his plea argues that the decision to replace current number plates with Ajrak number plates has caused significant inconvenience to the public.

According to the petition, a recent government notification states that vehicles without the Ajrak number plates will be impounded. However, citizens had already obtained the previous number plates after making due payments.

The petitioner contends that the government should provide the newly designed number plates free of cost and that there is no legal justification for penalizing or impounding vehicles due to the absence of new plates.

The petition further alleges that traffic police and motor vehicle authorities have turned the plate change into a business venture, resulting in unnecessary harassment of the public.

It also states that government departments are taking months to issue the new plates, while roadside vendors are producing counterfeit versions.

The petitioner has requested the court to order the government to distribute the new Ajrak number plates free of charge and to immediately halt the imposition of fines and vehicle impoundments.