In a bizarre twist, a five-star hotel in Karachi received a Rs 10,000 e-challan for a vehicle that was stolen nearly 28 years ago.
A five-star hotel in Karachi received a Rs 10,000 e-challan for a vehicle stolen 28 years ago. Traffic police cite gaps in the system linking stolen vehicles and TRACS.
The car, a Mehran registered in Quetta with number plate AA-540, was reported stolen from a parking area near Sharea Faisal in May 1997. Despite never being recovered, the hotel was recently penalized for a traffic violation—a seatbelt offense recorded at Hub Toll Plaza.
Investigations revealed a mismatch: the e-challan cited a Suzuki Alto, while the stolen vehicle was a Mehran. Traffic police explained that at the time, the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS) was not linked to the Anti Vehicle Lifting Cell (AVLC) or Safe City network, preventing automatic detection of stolen vehicles.
Authorities warned that incidents involving stolen vehicles being misidentified or having their number plates reused are still common. They also noted that Balochistan’s vehicle registration data is not fully online, causing operational challenges.
This unusual case highlights the need for improved integration between provincial vehicle databases and TRACS to prevent similar errors.
