ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Excise and Taxation Department is rolling out new reforms to simplify vehicle registration, ownership transfer and tax payments.
These measures include personalized number plates, digital vehicle cards and an upgraded mobile app for tax payments — all designed to make processes quicker and more accessible.
In an exclusive interview with APP on Sunday, Director Excise and Taxation Department Islamabad, Bilal Azam said that the department was focusing on improving vehicle-related services. These services cover registration, ownership transfers, token tax payments, and other post-registration tasks, he told.
Azam emphasized that the goal is to facilitate citizens as much as possible, whether at their doorstep or via online platforms. Through digital services like the Islamabad Citizen App, people can conveniently pay their token tax from home, reducing the need to visit offices. This digital shift has improved tax recovery and enhanced service delivery, he said.
Talking about personalized number plates system, he said that the department was now preparing to launch a new system that will introduce personalized number plates — a first in Pakistan.
“Under this system, registration numbers will be tied to the vehicle owner rather than the vehicle itself. When a car is sold, the number plate will be detached and returned to the previous owner. The new buyer will receive a fresh number plate associated with their identity”.
Bilal Azam explained that this step will ensure that no vehicle can remain unregistered after a sale, even for a single day. As soon as the biometric verification is done for the transfer, the previous number plate becomes vacant and is linked back to the seller, while the buyer is issued a new, personalized number. This move is expected to make vehicle tracking easier for law enforcement agencies, especially for tracing ownership, accessing vehicle data, and managing e-challans.
He said that the department is also planning to digitize vehicle registration cards. Currently issued as physical smart cards, they will soon be replaced with downloadable digital cards, accessible via the user’s Pak-ID account, similar to how digital national identity cards are issued by NADRA.
When a vehicle is sold, the seller will submit an online application through the app. The department is working on enabling biometric verification via mobile devices, so users won’t need to visit any office physically. Once the transfer is processed, the new digital registration card will automatically appear in the buyer’s Pak-ID profile.
Azam urged citizens to pay their token taxes within July to avail rebates offered by the government. He pointed out that earlier, vehicles from the 1980s and 1990s had no token tax records or transactions for decades. The department issued notices and public advertisements, but when owners failed to respond, their vehicle registrations were cancelled.
For vehicles that haven’t undergone transactions since the 1990s or 2000s, the department has developed a policy to identify and deal with such cases systematically. If an owner has not paid token tax for the last two to three years, a 50% penalty is imposed. For longer delays, a 100% penalty is charged. The department has introduced these penalties to encourage timely payments.
Additionally, those paying token tax in July are eligible for a 10% rebate, further motivating citizens to clear dues on time.
Bilal said that the Islamabad Excise Department had previously launched the “City Islamabad” app, which simplifies multiple services, including token tax payments. The app is available on both Android and iPhone platforms.
To use it, citizens need to download the app and register. Once registered, the app generates a PSID (Payment Slip ID). Users simply enter their vehicle number, and the system automatically calculates the applicable fees. The app differentiates between filer and non-filer citizens, applying the appropriate rates accordingly. Payments can be made through any online banking system linked to the PSID.
Azam stressed that the move to online platforms is essential, especially considering the department has registered approximately 1.42 million vehicles. Handling such volumes manually would not only be inefficient but would also create congestion at excise offices. The digitization initiative has significantly eased this burden by enabling remote transactions.
Meanwhile, another key reform is the shift from material smart cards to fully digital vehicle cards. This system, expected to launch soon, will integrate with NADRA’s Pak-ID. Vehicle owners will be able to download their digital registration cards directly, eliminating the need for physical cards.
Moreover, the department is working on enabling mobile-based biometric verification for ownership transfers. This feature will allow sellers and buyers to complete transactions entirely from their mobile devices, streamlining the process further.
Bilal Azam also advised citizens to regularly pay their token taxes and avoid delays, as the department is now actively identifying inactive vehicles and imposing penalties. The cancellation of registrations for long-inactive vehicles is part of a broader cleanup aimed at maintaining accurate records and accountability.
The department’s reforms aim to ensure that every vehicle in the capital is registered, taxed, and accounted for in the system. This will not only help the government improve tax collection but also assist security agencies in tracing vehicles when needed.
Concluding the interview, Bilal said that the personalized number plates, digital vehicle cards, and easy online tax payments are set to redefine how vehicle-related tasks are managed in the capital. With these reforms, citizens can expect faster, more transparent, and convenient services, reducing reliance on outdated manual processes.
