Online bike riders' registration made mandatory to curb crimes

ABBOTTABAD: Acting on the directives of District Police Officer (DPO) Mansehra Muhammad Azhar Khan, police have launched a district-wide registration drive for online bike riders following a rise in crimes committed under the guise of ride-hailing services.

Police officials stated that while Mansehra Police fully supports hardworking riders earning a lawful livelihood, no individual will be allowed to misuse the name of ride-hailing services for illegal activities.

As part of the initiative, each registered rider will be issued a special registration number, and their complete credentials will be documented at the relevant police station.

Mansehra Police have urged citizens to encourage riders in their areas to complete the mandatory registration process to help curb crime and maintain law and order.

Recently, the suicide bomber who carried out the attack near Islamabad district courts had arrived on a motorcycle booked through a ride-hailing service. The bike rider was subsequently taken into custody for questioning.

Security forces later dismantled a Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist cell involved in the attack, which claimed 12 lives and injured several others. In response to the incident, the federal government decided to ban the entry of vehicles without electronic tags (E-tags) into Islamabad.

In a joint operation conducted by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), four members of the TTP/Fitna al-Khawarij network linked to the suicide bombing at the Judicial Complex in Islamabad’s G-11 sector were apprehended, the Government of Pakistan said.

During interrogation, Sajidullah alias Sheena, the handler of the suicide bomber, confessed that TTP/FAK Commander Saeed-ur-Rehman alias Daadullah had contacted him through the Telegram application to carry out a suicide attack in Islamabad to cause maximum casualties of LEAs.

The bomber Usman Qari belonged to the Shinwari tribe and was a resident of Achin, Nangarhar, Afghanistan. When he reached Pakistan from Afghanistan, Sheena arranged his stay in a residence near Islamabad.