Over 23,000 vehicles blacklisted, wanted in Karachi

Most offenders are bikers and vehicles without or unreadable number plates

KARACHI:

More than 23,000 vehicles running on the city roads have been declared blacklisted in traffic police records due to tampering with number plates or other reasons, and are wanted by the police.

According to statistics from the traffic police and the Excise Department, more than seven million vehicles are registered in Karachi. Out of these, almost 54% are two-wheelers.

The traffic police, on October 27, 2025, launched a faceless e-challan system on selected roads in the city using cameras. Under this system, more than 300,000 vehicles have so far been issued tickets. Most of these challans were issued for violations such as not wearing seat belts, over-speeding, or riding motorcycles without helmets.

During the period after the introduction of faceless e-challan system, 23,319 vehicles and motorcycles have been declared blacklisted. These are vehicles that continue to violate traffic rules, but the traffic police have been unable to take effective action against them because, although challans were issued, the fines have not been paid.

Among the blacklisted vehicles, the largest number — 19,200 — are those marked as 'sold but not transferred' (SBNT). This means these vehicles have been sold, but the ownership not officially transferred, so the challans are still being issued in the name of the previous owner.