ISLAMABAD: The process of issuance of driving licences at the Islamabad Traffic Office is lying suspended for the last three weeks due to unavailability of material required to make the document.

Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) generally issue over 250 driving licences every day, but since the material, including cards and lamination paper, is not available, only a few licences have been issued to those who are scheduled to leave the country and have brought their air tickets and visas to support their case.

ITP Superintendent of Police Asmatullah Junejo, when contacted, said shortage of material had halted issuance of licences three weeks ago. He added that the ITP were only entertaining those who were going abroad.

The rest of the applicants have been assured that their licences will be produced and delivered whenever the material is available, he said.

The problem surfaced as the contract of the company that provided the material from Germany and Britain ended in June, he said, adding that another company had been contracted, which would start providing the material within two weeks.

The officials said the police highups, including the senior superintendent of police headquarters and the inspector general of police, were informed in February about the expiration of the contract in June and were asked to sign a new contract well in time, to avoid such problems. “However, the procedure started at a slow pace, which resulted in halting of the issuance of the driving licences,” he added.

“The contract has been awarded now and a letter has also been issued to the company by the inspector general of police, but it has not been received by the company yet,” another ITP official said, adding that the company was approached by the ITP staff and it assured them that it will start providing the material after receiving a formal letter, which takes about two weeks.

The officials said, for the first time in Pakistan, a US-based laser engraving technology will be used in the driving licence. Earlier, there were complaints that the driving licences’ colour fades due to sunlight, water and perspiration. According to the officials, the new technology will secure the colour, and various security features will be added to the lamination paper with laser engraving.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2014