• Large number of applicants return empty-handed despite looming Oct 31 deadline
• Officials say Ajrak-themed plates for those who applied in June are ready
• Claim over 50,000 plates lying uncollected at Civic Centre
KARACHI: As the deadline for vehicle owners to obtain new number plates draws near, those who applied months ago are thronging the Civic Centre to collect their retro-reflective plates, only to be returned disappointed due to a backlog of at least four months.
Many of these people had applied months ago for the replacement of their old number plates with the new Ajrak-themed ones. However, they had to return empty-handed from the offices of the Excise and Taxation Department after being informed that their plates had not yet been delivered.
During visits to the Civic Centre and Executive Centre in Clifton, Dawn saw a large number of people arriving either to collect their number plates — those who had applied after January — or to complete the process of transfer of ownership.
Officials and visitors said the main reason for the rush was the deadline announced by the Excise Department, which expires on Oct 31.
However, if not extended, according to the department, both the buyer and seller will be required to appear in person at the centre for biometric verification to complete the transfer process.
An excise official told Dawn that number plates for vehicle owners who had applied for replacements by June have either been delivered to the respective centres or collected by vehicle owners. However, he said that over 50,000 plates were still lying uncollected at the Civic Centre.
“I had applied for the number plate in January but have come to collect it now,” said a vehicle owner waiting for his turn to collect new Ajrak-themed number plates at the centre.
He acknowledged that he had already received a message from the excise department, but only decided to obtain the plate after learning that the traffic police would begin issuing challans from the last week of October against vehicles not affixed with new number plates.
However, another vehicle owner, who had also come to collect his number plate, claimed that he had not received any message from the department. He said he was informed by a traffic police officer during a routine check that his number plate had already been delivered to the centre.
“I had applied two months ago for ownership transfer and for the replacement with the new Ajrak-featured plate, but while the file has been received, the number plate has still not arrived,” a vehicle owner said.
Number of applicants surges to 10,000: official
A senior official in the department told Dawn that number plates for those who had applied for replacements by June had already been delivered to the centres or collected by the respective vehicle owners. Without giving a specific time frame, he claimed that the remaining backlog would be cleared soon.
He also claimed there was no backlog in the issuance of Ajrak-featured number plates for newly registered vehicles.
The official said that while around 300 to 400 applications or receipts were being received daily initially, the number has now surged to over 10,000 per day. Complaining about the situation, he added that more than 50,000 plates remain uncollected, causing “space constraints at the centre”.
He further said that over 650 new Ajrak-featured number plates were being delivered to the centre daily.
Responding to a question about what applicants should do if their replacement plates have not yet been delivered, the official said they are required to visit the centre.
“If their number plates have not been delivered, a stamp reading ‘number plate not issued’ will be placed on their receipt,” he explained.
Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2025
