On July 9, 2025, social activist Faizan Hussain challenged Sindh’s mandatory Ajrak-themed number plate policy in the Sindh High Court (SHC), citing public inconvenience, high costs, and alleged profiteering.
Faizan Hussain has filed a petition in the Sindh High Court against the Excise and Taxation Secretary, the Motor Vehicle Registration Wing, and the DIG Traffic. This petition challenges the Sindh government’s requirement for new Ajrak-designed number plates, which cost Rs 1,850 for motorcycles and Rs 2,450 for cars.
A notification issued on June 30, 2025, enforces a policy that threatens to impound vehicles found non-compliant with new number plate requirements, even though many vehicle owners have already paid for their existing plates. In response, Hussain has demanded that authorities provide the new plates free of charge and halt the issuance of fines related to this mandate.
Ajrak number plate policy challenged in SHC#ARYNewshttps://t.co/wRafFacdEN
— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) July 9, 2025The petition challenges the policy by highlighting significant public difficulties and stressing that replacing over 8.6 million vehicle plates by April 3, 2025, remains unrealistic due to the current pace of distribution. Authorities have issued only 80,000 new plates so far, which underscores a substantial gap between the policy’s expectations and its actual implementation.
This discrepancy has raised concerns about fairness and the practical impact on vehicle owners, many of whom face penalties despite fulfilling their prior obligations. Delays at Karachi’s Civic Centre, which processes 6,000 applications every 10 days, along with the sale of counterfeit plates for Rs 600, underscore the chaos surrounding the enforcement of this policy.
Read: Sindh Number Plates Policy Sparks Chaos in Karachi with Delays and Fines
Hussain’s plea alleges that traffic police and excise officials have turned the policy into a “business venture,” harassing citizens while vendors sell fake Ajrak plates, undermining the Safe City initiative. The Excise Department’s sluggish processing, despite online options at excise.gos.pk, forces reliance on agents. MQM-P’s Farooq Sattar labelled it “systematic extortion,” estimating millions in bribes. The government projects Rs7.35 billion in revenue from the policy.
