Punjab Excise Department to suspend vehicle registrations over unpaid token tax

The Excise and Taxation Department has intensified its crackdown on token tax defaulters, with Director General Umar Sher Chattha ordering the suspension of vehicle registrations for those failing to comply. 

According to media reports, Chattha directed enforcement teams to impound vehicles of major defaulters and impose fines on those overdue by a year or more, warning that strict action would now be taken without exception.

Reviewing recent enforcement operations, he disclosed that from January 1 to January 25, 2025, excise teams set up 1,051 checkpoints across Punjab, inspecting 173,411 vehicles. Of these, 5,427 were found unregistered, 18,958 were identified as token tax defaulters, and 9,156 were using fake licence plates. 

The department has urged vehicle owners to clear their dues to avoid penalties and vehicle impoundment.