Remember how we mentioned Sindh was having its first-ever auction for special car plates? Well, here’s another update on getting car number plates in the province.
The government has decided to stop people from picking their own regular (choice number) car plate numbers. This means you can’t choose a specific number or letter combination anymore, whether it’s from the current series of plates or upcoming ones.
Instead, everyone will get a plate number based on when they apply. It’s like waiting in line – whoever applies first gets the next available number in the sequence. This applies to both private cars and government vehicles.
There’s one exception: premium plates. These are special plates with unique numbers or letters that people might be willing to pay more for. If you’re interested in a premium plate, you can’t just request it. You’ll need to wait for the government to announce a separate process for applying for these special plates.
This new rule might be a change for some people in Sindh who were used to picking their own plate numbers. But it should make the process fairer for everyone, ensuring everyone gets a plate based on their turn in line, not who knows someone or gets there first.
Number Plate Auctioned for Rs. 10 Crore
On June 29th, 2024, the Excise and Taxation Department of Sindh auctioned 40 premium number plates, which earned the Sindh government 67.54 Crore PKR in total.
The ceremony was held at a local hotel. During the ceremony, Senior Minister of Excise, Taxation, and Information Sindh, Sharjeel Inam Memon, said, “I am sincerely thankful to all the participants. The purpose of this ceremony is not elitist but a noble cause.”
In the event, the first number plate, “A1,” was auctioned for 10 crore rupees and bought by the businessman “Muzamal Kareem,” who had the highest bid. Senior Minister Sindh Sharjeel Memon gave Muzmal Kareem the ownership certificate.
The 2nd number, “A786,” was auctioned for 2.65 crore PKR; Sindh Energy Minister Nasir Shah handed over the ownership certificate of the number plate to the bid winner.
What are your thoughts regarding Sindh government’s new move? Tell us in the comments section.
Please note that a number plate bearing a choice number came at an extra cost, but this number caused a problem for a person buying a used car.
For example, officially a car (sedan or hatchback) bought in 2018 would bear BMQ or BMA, but with this option the car owner could install a BPM, which actually came out in early 2020. The owners took advantage of this offering and often sold 2018 model as a 2020 model and got away with it too. It was easy because many people never considered taking a look at engine and chassis number. So, in a way this step is laudable.