Punjab Excise orders inquiry into 4,000 vehicle transfers on fake biometrics

The Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has ordered an inquiry against 11 serving officers and officials over the alleged transfer of more than 4,000 vehicles using fake biometric verification. The case involves suspected financial irregularities, procedural violations and forged powers of attorney used in ownership transfers, TechJuice reported.

Secretary Excise Masood Mukhtar appointed Director Muhammad Asif, a BS-19 officer, to lead the investigation under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act, 2006. Excise and Taxation Inspector Ghulam Mohyuddin of Region-C, Lahore, will act as the departmental representative and provide the relevant records, according to TechJuice.

The allegations surfaced during audit inspections covering two periods of 2024, from 1 January to 7 March and from 8 March to 20 August. The audits examined the records of vehicle ownership transfers handled by the department.

A transfer moves a vehicle's registration in the excise department's records from a seller to a buyer.

The inquiry will examine allegations that several Motor Registering Authorities and Excise and Taxation Inspectors processed hundreds of ownership transfers without referring them to the Divisional Committee, contrary to standard operating procedures issued on 7 March 2024. Under those procedures, cases involving Alternative Dispute Resolution and designated ownership transfers required scrutiny and approval by the Divisional Committee before the transfer was recorded.

The date the procedures were issued, 7 March 2024, is the point at which the first audit period ends and the second begins.

The audit also identified transfers processed on forged powers of attorney purportedly issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A power of attorney lets a vehicle owner authorise someone else to complete a transfer on their behalf.

Asif has been directed to complete the proceedings and submit a detailed report with recommendations within 60 days. The order did not say whether any of the 11 officials have been suspended.