KARACHI: A major dispute has erupted between the Pakistan Customs Department and the Sindh Excise Department over the legal status of tampered chassis vehicles.
According to the details, the Sindh government has officially directed the Excise Department to seize all such vehicles, challenging the stance of federal customs authorities.
As tensions escalate, the Sindh government and federal authorities have come face to face. Customs officials had declared tampered chassis vehicles legal, but Sindh’s Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla issued strict orders to confiscate them.
Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla stated that using such vehicles is a violation of the law and that their seizure falls within the legal jurisdiction of the Excise Department.
The Excise Minister further disclosed that the Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, had also instructed action against tampered vehicles.
Taking a direct jab at the Pakistan Customs authorities, he accused Customs officers of engaging in illegal activities, emphasising that stopping unlawful practices is the Sindh government’s responsibility.
The minister also revealed a shocking incident where Customs officers allegedly assaulted Excise personnel the previous day. He warned that legal action would be taken against those responsible for the attack.
Customs officers rough up Excise staff over vehicle stop
Earlier today, following the Sindh government’s orders, a road-checking campaign by the Excise and Taxation Department in Karachi turned into a dramatic confrontation when Customs officials clashed with Excise staff at Sea View. The excise team had stopped several vehicles with official number plates as part of their ongoing inspection drive.
Among the stopped vehicles were four cars carrying a senior Customs officer and his family. The situation escalated when the Customs officer called for reinforcements, summoning Customs personnel to the scene.
Upon arrival, the Customs team aggressively intervened, engaging in heated arguments with Excise officers. The verbal altercation quickly turned physical as Customs officials allegedly shoved Excise personnel aside and forcibly took their senior officer’s vehicle away.
Eyewitnesses reported that both departments’ officials were seen exchanging harsh words, pushing, and shoving in the middle of the road, causing a scene that drew public attention.
Tempered vehicles and the law
The legality of tampered vehicles in Pakistan is governed by the Customs Act of 1969 and the Motor Vehicle Ordinance of 1965.
According to the Customs Act, tampered vehicles are allocated to Customs field formations for official use, with strict regulations on their numbers and replacements. Any surplus vehicles are then sold to eligible departments.
Under the Motor Vehicle Ordinance of 1965, tampering with a vehicle’s chassis includes altering the original number, cutting or re-welding the frame, or re-stamping the number. If a chassis is modified due to an accident, the Motor Vehicle Authority must verify and approve it.
It is noteworthy that this is not the first time Sindh has resisted registering tampered vehicles. In November 2021, the Sindh government refused to register tampered vehicles belonging to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The Excise and Taxation Department rejected a CAA request to register vehicles confiscated by Islamabad Customs, stating that no legal provision allows the registration of “cut-weld and tampered” vehicles.
At that time, the CAA had sought registration of two luxury vehicles handed over by Pakistan Customs for temporary official use.
