Zero registrations recorded since launch; complex SOPs deter potential applicants
A large number of vehicles are caught in traffic jam on Ravi Road near Greater Iqbal Park on the third day of Basant celebrations in the city. Photo: APP
RAWALPINDI:
A Punjab government initiative aimed at raising revenue by offering re-registration of vehicles from other provinces has failed to gain traction.
Since its launch in November 2025, not a single vehicle registered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan or Azad Kashmir has been presented for re-registration in the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department of Rawalpindi Division. The authorities have now closed the dedicated counter set up for this purpose.
The scheme, introduced by the Punjab government, allowed owners of vehicles registered in other regions to re-register them in Punjab. But five months later, no such registrations have been registered in Rawalpindi Division.
Bilal Khan, vice-president of the Motor Car Dealers Association, attributed the failure to strict standard operating procedures (SOPs). He explained that applicants were required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the province of origin, submit complete vehicle documentation, secure an approval certificate from that province and undergo verification, including a Police 15 NOC in Punjab.
He noted that the lengthy and complex process deterred applicants. “Had the procedure been simpler – limited to submission of complete documents and basic police verification – the package could have been successful and generated millions of rupees in taxes and fees for the provincial government,” he said.
Officials from the Excise Department’s Motor Division confirmed that no vehicle from another province has been re-registered during this period.
