By Irfan Siddiqui | Tokyo
The All Pakistan Car Dealers and Importers Association (APDA) has expressed serious concerns over the one-year restriction on the transfer of vehicles imported by overseas Pakistanis under the Gift and Transfer of Residence schemes, urging Prime Minister of Pakistan to intervene and have the restriction removed.
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, APDA Patron-in-Chief Mian Shoaib Ahmed said that under S.R.O. 61(I)/2026, vehicles imported through the Gift and Transfer of Residence schemes cannot be transferred to another person for one year from the date of import.
The association argued that while the restriction may have been introduced for regulatory purposes, it could unintentionally create complications for law enforcement agencies and raise concerns related to national security, particularly in the prevailing security environment.
According to APDA, an overseas Pakistani may sometimes be compelled to sell an imported vehicle before the completion of the one-year period due to financial or personal circumstances. Since the vehicle cannot legally be transferred during that period, official registration records continue to show the original importer as the owner even though the vehicle may actually be in the possession and use of another person.
The association warned that such a discrepancy between official ownership records and the vehicle’s actual user could create serious difficulties if the vehicle is subsequently used in terrorism, kidnapping, targeted attacks, smuggling, robbery or any other serious criminal activity.
In such circumstances, investigators may initially be led to the person whose name remains in the official registration record rather than the vehicle’s actual user, potentially wasting valuable time and complicating law enforcement efforts.
APDA also pointed out that modern surveillance and security systems, including Safe City cameras and Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems, depend heavily on accurate and updated vehicle registration records. A mismatch between the registered owner and the actual user could therefore undermine effective vehicle traceability.
The association has requested the Prime Minister to direct the Ministry of Commerce and other relevant authorities to amend the SRO and withdraw the one-year non-transfer restriction.
APDA maintained that allowing timely legal transfer would ensure that government records accurately reflect a vehicle’s actual legal owner and current user, while also strengthening traceability and supporting law enforcement agencies in meeting national security requirements.
