KARACHI - Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla on Monday introduced security featured MVR smart card for vehicle registration which aimed to eliminate forgery in transfer and registration of vehicles.

Talking to media after introducing the smart card here at Civic Centre, Chawla said that Sindh government had achieved a milestone by inducting such thing as it will not only eradicate the menace of fake registration which was real threat to law and order but also facilitate the citizens. He said that the vehicles could be verified anywhere across the province through special devices with the help of this smart card. It will be very easy for the department to maintain data of the vehicles and their owners with the help of these smart cards which will also replace licence book.

In the first phase, those who get their vehicles transferred or register first timer would get benefit of it with a nominal fee; however, old owners can also avail this service by getting their vehicle registered through smart card. The MVR smart card, which is easy to carry, will be equipped with a sim module chip, containing all information of the vehicle as well as basic information of the vehicle owner.

This initiative had already been taken in Islamabad and Punjab and now it is going to be started in Sindh as well. Chawla had announced in August 2016 that his department would convert license books into smart cards but it saw the light of the day after 21 months. On the occasion Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal, Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister for Population Welfare Mumtaz Khan Jhakrani , Secretary Excise and Taxation & Narcotics Control Abdul Haleem Shaikh,  Director Generals ET & NC Shabir Ahmed Shaikh, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and others were also present.

The home minister appreciated the step of introducing the smart card for verification of the vehicles and asked the excise department to introduce such measures for motorcycles registration as well as, maintaining that a large number of street crimes were committed by the bikers. The information minister termed the introduction a big achievement of the excise and taxation department and said that they would take all-out efforts for the welfare of the people. 

The minister for population welfare Mumtan Khan Jhakharni also hailed Chawla and his team, saying that the provincial government had taken many measures to provide relief to the people and introduction of smart Card was one of them.