NCP & case property vehicles in use for years

PESHAWAR: The recent actions by the Excise Police against a few politicians revealed how influential people have been using non-custom paid (NCP) and case property vehicles in the province and rest of the country for years.

Apart from political figures, there are officials of various departments who are supposed to keep a check on such vehicles and are also using innumerable such vehicles for years.

Many have gifted the vehicles to the family and friends. They have adopted novel ways to legalize using the vehicles for themselves so that no action can be taken by the other departments. Raids were conducted on the houses and hujras (male guest houses) of some former lawmakers and senior government functionaries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after reports that they were using such vehicles illegally.

The officials of the Excise Police recovered a few such vehicles which were sent to the laboratory for forensic investigation.

The Excise Police was ordered last month to take action against all the former lawmakers and other politicians who were using NCP and case property vehicles allegedly illegally.

The officials of the department initially told the high-ups that no such vehicle was being used by the former lawmakers and senior politicians of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). However, raids were expedited and some vehicles were recovered when the top bosses expressed anger over the non-compliance. A number of PTI leaders and workers termed the raids unlawful and an effort to pressurize them to end support to the party chief Imran Khan.

“A number of luxury vehicles being used by several influential people are NCP cars since they get it for only 30,40 percent of the original price. They can manage driving these cars since no department can stop them,” a source told The News.

Many also use such cars for allegedly free after being seized by different departments that gift them to the blue-eyed people to get favours later.

“Not only the politicians but officials of a number of departments are reportedly using hundreds of such vehicles. Even the officials of the departments that are supposed to take action are enjoying such luxury cars after getting possession through a couple of formalities,” said a source.

The practice is a known fact but all have kept mum as a huge majority is involved in it.

“A couple of years back, hundreds of NCP and case property cars were returned by the police officials, their families and friends after warning by the then inspector general of police against the use of such vehicles,” said a source. The action was taken after reports that a large number of senior and junior police officials in KP are not only using these vehicles themselves but also have gifted them to family members and friends.

A letter was sent to the district police officers from the office of assistant inspector general of police operations to dispose of all the NCP and case property vehicles as per the law. The same is the case with the Excise Department, Customs and other relevant forces. Even junior officials are using two to three vehicles with no check from the bosses or the department.

Many officers and officials of police, Excise, Customs and other departments argue that they use these cars for patrolling and official duty for lack of patrolling vans.

The case property vehicles are returned to owners in a poor condition after they win the case in the court and get back the custody of the cars back from Police, Excise and other departments.