Sindh to Launch CNIC-Based Vehicle Registration System

The Sindh cabinet on Thursday approved the launch of CNIC-based vehicle registration system, following in the footsteps of Islamabad. The Cabinet meeting, held at the CM House with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in the chair, was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, the chief secretary and the concerned secretaries. The Cabinet also gave the green light to register seized government vehicles with altered chassis, and establishment of Vehicle Fitness Inspection Centers. The Sindh Cabinet reviewed a proposal by the Excise department to introduce a CNIC-based vehicle registration system, along with Personalized Registration Marks (PRMs). The new system will link registration directly to a vehicle owner’s CNIC rather than the vehicle’s chassis, allowing owners to retain and reuse their personalized number plates even after selling their vehicle. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) will now be based on the chassis number, which remains the permanent identifier of the vehicle. Under the proposed model, number plates will be retained by owners, and upon sale of a vehicle, the plate is detached from the chassis and can be reassigned. If not retained, the number will be surrendered for auction or re-issuance. The Cabinet, in principle, approved the CNIC based registration model and its legal amendments to bring Sindh s system in line with global best practices and recent reforms in the Islamabad Capital Territory. The Sindh Government also proposed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the registration of confiscated or seized government vehicles with tampered chassis or cut-and-weld alterations.