ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the relevant authorities to accept driving licences issued by other countries.

The directives were issued by the prime minister in response to hundreds of requests made by expatriates on the Prime Minister’s Portal.

In response to the directive, Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) issued an order, asking all staff, including deputy superintendents of traffic police, to accept driving licences issued by other countries.

The order further stated that the ITP staff should not fine drivers holding valid foreign driving licences.

They were asked to take the directive seriously and ensure its implementation.

Superintendent of Police (SP) ITP Khalid Rasheed told Dawn that following the prime minister’s directive, expatriates were now eligible to drive vehicles in the capital with licences obtained from abroad.

It was for the first time that foreign driving licences were being accepted here, SP Rasheed said, adding that licences issued by the ITP were also accepted in some countries.

Earlier, those who did not possess local driving licences were fined, SP Rasheed said, adding that expatriates, who were visiting the country for a limited period, faced inconvenience while driving in the capital despite having licences from the country of their residence.

Besides it took them 40 days to acquire a licence from the ITP, he added.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2020