Major reforms in transport, education win cabinet's nod

The Sindh cabinet on Thursday approved a string of key policy measures and development initiatives aimed at improving administrative efficiency, ensuring road safety, reforming education governance, and preserving the province's heritage.

The cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, granted in-principle approval to the Excise and Taxation Department's proposal for launching a new vehicle registration system linked to Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs). Under the proposed model, personalised registration numbers will be assigned to vehicle owners rather than chassis numbers, allowing owners to retain their number plates even after selling their vehicles.

Officials said the initiative, which aligns with international practices, would enhance tracking, facilitate tax compliance, and improve vehicle ownership records. The cabinet also approved the necessary legal amendments to implement the CNIC-based registration framework and directed the department to launch a pilot project before rolling it out across the province.

The cabinet also approved the establishment of vehicle fitness centres for commercial vehicles across the province. The centres will be set up by Wah Industries Limited, with the first phase covering Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur. More centres will be established in other districts in subsequent phases.

Legal amendments will be introduced to make fitness certification mandatory for commercial vehicles, while private vehicles will not be subject to the same requirement.

The cabinet also gave nod of approval for a procedural mechanism for registering government vehicles with modified chassis or confiscated units, allowing federal and provincial agencies to register such vehicles under designated series. A committee headed by the excise minister will finalise the legal framework.

The cabinet sanctioned a fresh resurvey of 3,371 historical buildings across the province, many of which are said to be in poor condition.

An amount of Rs20 million has been allocated for the initiative. Expert committees will be formed to assess the status of each site and recommend necessary restoration and conservation measures.

The cabinet also okayed an amendment to the rules governing educational boards, allowing officers of BS-19 and BS-20 to be appointed as chairpersons. Earlier, only BS-21 officers were eligible for the position. The move aims to ease recruitment bottlenecks and improve administrative efficiency in the education sector.