Despite the fact that Sindh Home Department had banned the use of tinted glass vehicles to control criminal activities, a large number of such vehicles are plying on city roads due to lack of check and balance.
Most of the activists from different political parties have adopted a trend of displaying of vehicles with coloured glasses to show their powers and by violating government orders. The provincial home ministry had allowed some government servants to use tinted glass cars due to security reasons, but a large number of people managed to get duplicate of permission certificates, an official source at home department told Business Recorder on Wednesday.
He said the government to facilitate the senior government officials had issued special permission certificates but after passing many years a large number of permission certificates with stamp of issuing authority circulated in the metropolis. "It is said that many workers of PPP-led coalition government also to use such vehicles," he added.
He said that federal interior ministry had imposed a ban on tinted glass vehicles and directed all provincial home departments for following Centre's directions. The federal government could not lift the ban even after passing years but violation of government orders is now become a common practice in the province, he maintained.
He disclosed that Sindh Home Department has received many complaints in this regard, but the authorities concerned failed to deal with the issue. The federal government, to impose the ban on permanent basis, made amendment in traffic police rules and fixed fine to charge violators if find guilty, the source said.
The department had launched campaigns against coloured glass vehicles and charged the violators with heavy fine, said Deputy Inspector General Police (DIGP) Traffic Khurram Gulzar, adding that these campaigns were aimed to reduce use of coloured glass vehicles in Sindh.
He was of the view that due to rapid import of vehicles from other countries, the number of such vehicles increased in the province, but according to the directions issued by provincial home department, the buyers are directed to replace coloured glass of their vehicles. The department has planned to launch further campaigns against violators to lower use of tinted glass vehicles, he added.
The department has not allowed any political worker to use tinted glass vehicles nor issued certificate to them, said Riaz Gill Section Officer (SO) Police-II, adding that the department has not lifted ban imposed on coloured glass vehicles. Due to lack of information, the section officer insisted on giving details and asked this reporter to visit again.