500 impounded vehicles sold

AVLS officials face probe over using fake orders

LAHORE:

Over 500 vehicles seized in connection with various cases have reportedly been sold off under fake orders, sparking concern among the law enforcement authorities.

According to sources, officials from the Anti-Vehicle Lifting Squad (AVLS) are suspected of being involved in the illicit sale of confiscated vehicles using fraudulent court orders.

The matter came to light when a judicial query revealed the fraudulent activities, prompting Judicial Magistrate Atif Rasheed Khan Niazi of Model Town to take action.

In a letter dated April 18, the magistrate directed the capital city police officer (CCPO) of Lahore to provide a detailed report on all vehicles released under the provision of superdari since January last year.

Additionally, the relevant registers and other record from the AVLS Model Town and Saddar divisions were summoned for court inspection by April 22.

Despite the urgency of the situation, the AVLS has yet to complete its inquiry after five months.

According to police sources, stolen vehicles from the Saddar and Model Town areas were regularly sold through bogus superdari orders. The issue exacerbated after the original owners of several of the vehicles came forward, prompting the court to seek comprehensive details.

The CCPO had previously assigned the administration SSP of the Organised Crime Unit, Imran Karamat Bukhari, to conduct the investigation.

However, the inquiry remains incomplete, with officials citing difficulties in retrieving the necessary details from the court record.

The court may take action if the required documents are not submitted by an upcoming deadline, leaving the AVLS under scrutiny for its handling of confiscated vehicles. The police sources said investigations into the matter are under way.

Loader rickshaw ban

The Lahore traffic police have imposed a ban on loader rickshaws entering the city's major model roads, including The Mall Road, Jail Road, Canal Road, Guberg Main Boulevard and cantonment areas.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Amara Athar announced that loader rickshaws carrying oversized and dangerous items such as iron rods, steel pipes, T-iron bars and bamboo will no longer face mere fines, but legal action will be taken with the drivers facing FIRs. "The increasing number of loader rickshaws carrying dangerous material poses a significant threat to the safety of other road users," she said.

Over 11,000 loader rickshaws have already been issued challan tickets for violations. However, stricter measures are now being enforced, with a crackdown targeting overloaded and unsafe vehicles, she said. "There will be no compromise on the safety of lives. From now on, offenders will face FIRs instead of just fines," the CTO emphasised.

The official said both the drivers and the owners of the rickshaws will be nominated in FIRs if they exceed the load limits. Additionally, drivers who continue overloading will have their licences cancelled. Special checkpoints have been set up on Allama Iqbal Road, GT Road, Ferozepur Road, Multan Road and in Shahdara. Officers will conduct thorough inspections of headlights, backlights, reflectors and indicators of these vehicles to ensure compliance.

CTO Amara Athar stated that a rigorous crackdown against dangerous vehicles will be carried out, using Safe Cities Authority cameras for better enforcement. Additional personnel, including eight senior wardens and 24 wardens, have been deployed at the city's entry and exit points under the supervision of circle officers to ensure the campaign's effectiveness. The move comes following several accidents involving overloaded rickshaws.