Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) will formally request the embassies, especially the Middle East countries, to verify the driving licenses, issued by the ITP before issuance of the visa (Work Permit).
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Islamabad Zubair Hashmi, in an exclusive talk with APP, said the driving license of Islamabad is acceptable in Saudi Arabia as well as in several other Middle East states. He feared that some people were involved in the business of issuance of fake licenses.
"Sometimes, it happens that embassies get verification of the driving licenses after issuing work permit," he said and added that the situation brings embarrassment on finding the licenses fake after departure of the visa-holder. The SSP said, "it would be better if the verification of driving licenses be done at the initial stage by the embassies".
To a question, the SSP said the ITP had lodged First Information Reports at Margallah Police Station against the persons involved in issuance of fake licenses. The SSP said the people having driving licenses of any other district apply at ITP office for conversion of their license into Islamabad driving license.
"There is a probability that they might have fake driving licenses, so the ITP office gets its verification from the concerned district". Hashmi said that an FIR has been registered against two persons identified as Khurram Shehzad resident of District Bagh, Azad Kashmir, and Jehangir Khan resident of Poonch, Azad Kashmir, for attempting to get driving license of Islamabad on fake licenses of Azad Kashmir.
"When their licenses were dispatched to the concerned license issuing authority for verification, these were found bogus," he added. It would be better if work permits of those applicants, attaching driving license of Islamabad, are issued after due verification by Islamabad Licensing Authority, he said. Meanwhile, the ITP police spokesman said a person allegedly involved in this illegal business had been arrested from Rawalpindi and investigation was underway. The spokesman said that those involved in the illegal activity would be traced soon.