KHYBER: The excise and taxation department in Khyber has started the profiling of all the unregistered or non-custom paid vehicles in the district.

The process was started at the excise and taxation office in Jamrud with last date for profiling of the unregistered vehicles fixed as December 31.

Khalid Khan, an official of the excise department, said that the process was initiated to collect the data of all the unregistered vehicles in the district and then devise a mechanism for their formal registration. “The process was started in light of the decision made at a meeting of the Apex Committee held in Peshawar a few weeks ago,” he said.

The official said that after completion of the process of profiling, these vehicles would be allowed to drive freely in Khyber, Mohmand and Malakand division with the excise and narcotics control departments issuing them an authority letter for free movement.

Khalid Khan said that no vehicle would be impounded after completion of the profiling process. He said that the profiling would be done free of charge.

Owners of the non-custom paid vehicles had been resisting registration or profiling for a long time while the security agencies were apprehensive about the use of such vehicles in acts of terrorism and sabotage as these vehicles were not registered with any government department.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2023