November 29, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 18, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: In a daring move to stop the misuse of impounded vehicles by the city police, District Commissioner Amir Ali has banned police from keeping such vehicles in its custody.

“I have observed police misusing impounded vehicles worth millions of rupees, or they give it to other people,” the chief officer of Islamabad told Dawn on Wednesday.

He said that according to a high court ruling impounded vehicles can be given to their legal claimants and none else.

Only a law court can allow ‘Superdari’ (handing over) of an impounded vehicle, that too to its owner. Police authorities cannot do that on their own.

However, policemen are observed using impounded vehicles freely, or passing it on to friends or influential persons in the guise of ‘Superdari’. In some cases the impounded vehicles remain in the use of unauthorised persons for years.

According to an official document, the city police have 183 impounded vehicles in its custody. Sabzi Mandi police are holding 52 of them, CIA police 27, Sihala police 10, Golra police 4, Shahzad Town police 3, Kohsar police 12, Margalla police 16, Shalimar police 17, Industrial Area police eight, Secretariat police and Tarnol police 10 each, Barakahu police seven and Aabpara police four.

The list provided by the local administration said the fleet of impounded vehicles include one Mercedes-Benz, two Land Cruiser jeeps, a Hiace jeep, a truck, a dumper truck, 26 Corolla cars, four Honda cars, 87 Suzuki cars and 37 motorcycles.

The local administration also noted that rather than making real efforts the police just goes through the motions of trying to trace the legal owners of the impounded vehicles because they are given to other people.

An official of the local administration said police authorities in Karachi publish the list of impounded vehicles in the national dailies so that their legal owners can come and take them. Islamabad and Rawalpindi authorities need to adopt the same practise to avoid misuse of impounded vehicles.