Licence-seekers thong city's licence offices: Crackdown on motorists without licence delayed for month

Motorists without driving license thronged all the three license offices on Monday to get driving license after traffic police announced a crackdown against such motorists in the city from Monday. However, the Sindh government following an unexpected flood of applicants for issuance of driving license restrained the traffic police from taking any action and asked it to postpone the drive for a month so that the applicants could be accommodated by the license offices within the period.
A large number of applicants reached at the Nazimabad license offices to buy forms, however due to shortage of forms at the facility they could not get the required form. The applicants staged a protest demo against the administration and tried to enter the building. When police offered resistance, the protesters turned violent and started shattering windowpanes of the building. Some of the license-seekers also tried to scale the walls to enter the building for collection of forms prompting the police to resort to baton charging.
Meanwhile after witnessing clashes between police and citizens at city's driving license branches, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Sial ordered police to extend the deadline for acquiring license for month and subsequently postpone the crackdown. It may be mentioned here the overwhelming public rush was witnessed at the license facilities on Monday- a day after DIG Traffic Karachi Amir Shaikh strictly warned the drivers to get their licenses issued/renewed within the shortest time as they could be sent to jail under a provision of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance.
"I am going back to home without acquiring license form. The administration should have at least ensured basic documents/forms for the applicants. Dozens of others like me returned to homes without form despite spending hours here. There should be more license branches in different areas of the city to cater the needs of people," said a citizen.
He also accused the DIG Traffic for launching a hasty move, without giving a framework to get license forms and follow the procedure. Hundreds of people also reached the Clifton, and Korangi driving license branches to get their license issued. Mismanagement was also seen in the Clifton branch. It was sealed as a crowd of applicants chanted slogans against police for its failure in providing forms.