RAWALPINDI: Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Director General Mohammad Ali got five agents and touts arrested outside the divisional excise office here.

The Civil Lines police registered a case under sections 171 and 119 of the Pakistan Penal Code against the five men. The excise director general on Saturday made a surprise visit to the office and checked agents sitting outside the building and illegally keeping smart cards, number plates and other documents of vehicles.

All five suspects — Shamoon, Ali Raza, Shaukat, Osman and Rizwan — were arrested on the spot. The DG inspected the divisional office and expressed his indignation seeing thousands of smart cards and number plates lying in the motor branch undelivered.

He ordered the director excise to ensure the distribution of the vehicle smart cards and number plates within 24 hours. He directed the concerned officials to call the vehicle owners and inform them so that if there was any problem with the post office they should come to the office and receive their number plates or smart cards.

The DG ordered the transfer of excise inspector Sultan Sikandar, who was on duty without a uniform, out of the Rawalpindi division and announced to give certificates of appreciation to the top five inspectors in the recovery of property tax.

The five inspectors with the lowest collection would be transferred out of the district. He warned inspectors Iftikhar and Fazeel and ordered the director excise to observe their performance for 15 days.

He said 100pc property tax should be recovered from the top 100 defaulters within a week if there was no legal hurdle in their case.

The DG said facilitation counters should be set up for citizens and senior citizens should be given special care.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2023