LAHORE: A revenue-focused initiative by the Punjab government to re-register vehicles from other provinces has failed to generate any response from the public.
Officials from the Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control Department confirmed that not a single vehicle from provinces including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, or Azad Kashmir has been re-registered in the Rawalpindi Division since the scheme’s launch in November 2025.
Due to the complete lack of applications, authorities have now shut down the dedicated counter established to process re-registration requests.
The initiative was introduced to encourage vehicle owners to transfer their registrations to Punjab, enabling the provincial government to collect additional taxes and fees.
However, stakeholders say the scheme failed primarily due to overly strict and complicated procedures.
Bilal Khan, Vice President of the Motor Car Dealers Association, explained that applicants were required to go through multiple steps, including obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the original province, submitting full documentation, securing a clearance certificate, and undergoing police verification via Police 15 in Punjab.
He noted that the lengthy process discouraged participation, adding that a simplified system could have made the scheme more successful and potentially generated millions in revenue.
Officials from the Motor Branch reiterated that zero re-registrations have been recorded since the scheme began, raising concerns about policy design and implementation.
