Car Dealers Seek Removal of One-Year Transfer Ban

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Car Dealers and Importers Association (APDA) has called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to withdraw the one-year restriction preventing the transfer of vehicles imported by overseas Pakistanis under the Gift and Transfer of Residence Scheme.

The restriction was introduced through SRO 61(I)/2026, which inserted sub-clause (10) into Appendix-E of the Import Policy Order 2022. Under the new provision, vehicles brought into Pakistan through these schemes cannot be transferred to another owner for one year from their date of import.

In a letter addressed to the prime minister, APDA Patron-in-Chief Mian Shoaib Ahmed said the restriction could create difficulties for overseas Pakistanis who may encounter legitimate financial or personal circumstances requiring them to sell their vehicles before completing the mandatory one-year period.

He argued that the policy could also produce a mismatch between who actually possesses a vehicle and the person officially recorded as its owner, particularly where vehicles are informally transferred without corresponding updates in government registration databases.

According to Shoaib, such discrepancies could have implications for law-enforcement and counter-terrorism efforts because systems including Safe City surveillance, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), official vehicle databases and other monitoring mechanisms depend on accurate ownership records.

He warned that if a vehicle became connected to serious offences such as terrorism, kidnapping, targeted violence, smuggling or robbery, outdated ownership information could complicate investigations. Authorities could initially trace the vehicle to its previous registered owner instead of the individual actually using or possessing it.

The APDA representative further cautioned that the restriction could encourage informal possession arrangements or the use of vehicles without properly updated ownership documents, making it more difficult for authorities to establish who legally owns and controls a vehicle.

Shoaib maintained that overseas Pakistanis should retain the ability to lawfully sell or transfer their vehicles when genuine circumstances require it. At the same time, he said the government should ensure that every vehicle operating on Pakistani roads remains connected to a current and verifiable ownership record.

He urged the government to reconsider the one-year restriction, arguing that any regulation capable of creating gaps between actual possession and official ownership should be reviewed in light of law-enforcement, traceability and national security considerations.