London: The registration of three vehicles under the name of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif without his consent or knowledge has prompted an investigation by London police, with the PML-N saying the vehicles could be misused for a crime or for terrorism.

Mr Sharif first came to know about the vehicles falsely registered in his name when the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sent a letter to his residence at Avenfield House with the registration details of a vehicle attributed to him.

This prompted Mr Sharif’s office to report the activity in March to the DVLA, triggering an investigation.

Khurram Butt, a London-based PML-N spokesperson, revealed that a second incident occurred last month, and that another vehicle was registered under the former prime minister’s name.

A third vehicle under his name was discovered when a traffic violation fine was issued, an act described by Mr Butt as “uncovering a malicious attempt by some individuals to exploit the name and reputation of the PML-N leader for criminal purposes”.

London authorities are pursuing the investigation and following up on all leads to find out who is responsible for registering these vehicles falsely.

The DVLA informed Mr Sharif that his name had been removed from the vehicle registrations, but advised him to pursue the matter with police as it revealed a fraudulent claim made in his name.

The spokesman said he suspected Nawaz Sharif’s name was being deliberately used for wrong purposes, and that he suspected supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf were behind the fraudulent act.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2023