These measures include personalised number plates, digital vehicle registration cards, and an upgraded mobile app for online tax payments — all designed to make procedures more efficient and accessible.
In an exclusive interview with APP on Sunday, Director Excise and Taxation Department Islamabad, Bilal Azam, said the department is focusing on improving vehicle-related services, including registration, ownership transfers, token tax payments, and post-registration tasks.
Azam stated that the goal is to facilitate citizens as much as possible, whether at their doorstep or via online platforms. Through digital services like the Islamabad Citizen App, people can conveniently pay their token tax from home, reducing the need to visit offices. He added that the digital shift has enhanced both tax recovery and service delivery.
Regarding the personalised number plate system, Azam said the department is preparing to launch a new system, the first of its kind in Pakistan. Under the system, registration numbers will be linked to the vehicle owner rather than the vehicle. When a car is sold, the number plate will be returned to the previous owner, and the new buyer will receive a fresh plate linked to their identity.
He explained that this step will ensure that no vehicle remains unregistered after a sale. Once biometric verification is completed for the transfer, the previous plate becomes vacant and is reassigned to the seller, while the buyer is issued a new personalised number. The initiative is expected to aid law enforcement in vehicle tracking, ownership tracing, data access, and e-challan enforcement.
Azam also stated that vehicle registration cards, currently issued as physical smart cards, will soon be digitised. The digital version will be accessible via the user’s Pak-ID account, similar to digital national identity cards issued by NADRA.
When a vehicle is sold, the seller will submit an online application through the app. The department is working to enable biometric verification via mobile devices, eliminating the need for in-person visits. Once the transfer is processed, the buyer’s digital registration card will automatically appear in their Pak-ID profile.
Azam urged citizens to pay their token taxes within July to benefit from government rebates. He noted that many vehicles from the 1980s and 1990s lacked tax records or transactions for decades. Despite public notices and advertisements, non-responding owners had their registrations cancelled.
For vehicles with no transactions since the 1990s or 2000s, a new policy has been developed to identify and manage such cases. If token tax has not been paid for two to three years, a 50% penalty is imposed; for longer periods, a 100% penalty is charged. These penalties aim to encourage timely payments.
Additionally, a 10% rebate is being offered for token tax payments made in July to further incentivise compliance.
Azam highlighted that the department had earlier launched the “City Islamabad” app, simplifying services including token tax payments. The app, available on Android and iPhone, allows users to register, enter their vehicle number, and generate a PSID (Payment Slip ID). The system automatically calculates the applicable fees and differentiates between filer and non-filer citizens. Payments can be made through any online banking system linked to the PSID.
He emphasised the importance of digital platforms, especially given that approximately 1.42 million vehicles are registered with the department. Handling such volumes manually would be inefficient and would result in congestion at excise offices. Digitisation has significantly eased this burden by enabling remote transactions.
Another major reform is the shift from material smart cards to fully digital vehicle cards, expected to launch soon. These will be integrated with NADRA’s Pak-ID, allowing vehicle owners to download their registration cards directly.
Furthermore, the department is working to implement mobile-based biometric verification for ownership transfers, enabling sellers and buyers to complete transactions entirely from mobile devices.
Azam advised citizens to regularly pay their token taxes and avoid delays, as the department is now actively identifying inactive vehicles and imposing penalties. The cancellation of registrations for long-inactive vehicles is part of a wider effort to maintain accurate records and ensure accountability.
The department’s reforms aim to ensure that every vehicle in the capital is registered, taxed, and documented. This is expected to enhance government tax collection and support security agencies in tracing vehicles when needed.
Concluding the interview, Azam said that personalised number plates, digital vehicle cards, and online tax payment systems are set to transform vehicle-related services in the capital. Citizens can expect faster, more transparent, and convenient services, reducing reliance on outdated manual procedures.