Minister orders opening of five new vehicle registration centres in city

Caretaker Minister for Excise and Taxation Mushtaq Ahmed Shah has directed his department to open five more centres in different areas to register new motor vehicles being bought into the city.

He issued these directives on Monday during a surprise visit to the motor vehicle registration office in the Civic Centre building. Shah said more registration centres were required in different parts of the city in order to reduce the overcrowding of applicants at the Civic Centre office. He added that more registration centres should be opened in North Nazimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Saddar, Clifton, and DHA.

The caretaker excise minister also directed the officials concerned to ensure that the registration process is simplified and done at the district level. He said latest technology should be incorporated to simplify the procedure and provide maximum facilitation to the people.

Shah said that people belonging to other parts of Sindh should be motivated to get their vehicles registered at the respective regional headquarters of the Excise Department in order to reduce the number of applicants at Karachi’s only registration centre.

He added that the website of the department should add more information for the people and that a focal person should be appointed to reorganise the department along modern lines. Excise Department Director General Shabbir Ahmed Shaikh informed the caretaker minister that soon an online tax payment system for vehicles would be introduced. “Work is being done on this on a speedy basis,” he added.

‘Foolproof security’

The caretaker adviser to the chief minister on prisons, Brigadier (retd) Haris Nawaz, visited Landhi Jail on Monday to check on security arrangements for high-profile prisoners and directed the prison officers to ensure foolproof security.

Nawaz tested the meals being provided to the prisoners as well and inquired about the health condition of the kitchen staff, directing the officers to update the medical check-ups for workers.

The adviser also visited the prison’s training centre where computer training, fine arts and handicraft training was being provided to inmates. He said that such initiatives were important so that the prisoners could prove themselves useful citizens.

Nawaz also visited the jail hospital and observed the medical facilities being provided to the prisoners. He directed for the compilation of a proper record of the medical store. He was accompanied by Sindh Inspector General Prisons Nusrat Hussain Mangan, Deputy Inspector General Prisons Qazi Nazeer, Superintendent Malir jail and other officers.