Underage driving in Islamabad and driving without a valid licence are the targets of a major crackdown that Islamabad Police have decided to launch. Under the plan, vehicles driven by people without a valid driving licence will be impounded and released only after the required licence is obtained. In cases involving underage drivers, police will impound the vehicle instead of registering a criminal case, and the car will be returned once the parents appear at the police station and submit a written undertaking.
What happens to vehicles under the plan
The decision was announced by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Captain (retd) Muhammad Sohail Chaudhry, during a meeting with a delegation of the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association. He said traffic laws prohibiting unlicensed and underage driving would be strictly enforced. Cars driven by unlicensed people will be held at the relevant police stations and returned to their owners only after the drivers have valid licences.
For underage drivers, the approach is different. Police will not register criminal cases in these situations and will impound the vehicle instead. The car will be released once the parents of the young driver come to the police station and sign a written undertaking. The announcement did not describe any other penalty for these cases.
Wider policing changes
Chaudhry also announced more police patrolling to curb street crime, and said the force has been given improved vehicles to work more efficiently. He said special attention is being paid to the Safe City Project, under which surveillance cameras are used to prevent and investigate criminal activity. On checkpoints, he said more than half of the security checkpoints outside the Red Zone have been removed, and police have been told to focus on patrolling rather than static posts.
He added that containers have been removed from Islamabad and that normal activity has resumed across the capital, despite the challenges police faced after his appointment. The delegation included the association's president, Malik Asad, and its general secretary, Asif Naveed, along with several former office-bearers.
What comes next
The announcement did not give a start date for the drive, and it did not say how many vehicles are expected to be impounded. Police have said the traffic laws will be enforced strictly, so drivers in the capital who lack a valid licence should expect the impoundment rule to apply. Anyone who needs a driving licence will have to complete the process before a held vehicle can be returned. Questions about licence procedures can be taken to the traffic police in Islamabad.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Islamabad police ne bina licence aur kam umar driving ke khilaf sakhti ka faisla kiya hai. Bina licence chalayi gayi gaari zabt hogi aur licence banne ke baad hi wapas milegi. Kam umar driver ki gaari bhi zabt hogi, lekin criminal case nahi banega aur parents likhit undertaking dein ge tab gaari milegi. Gaari apne bachon ko sochh samajh kar dein, kyun ke ab nuksaan seedha gaari ki shakal mein hoga.
