SHC Orders Removal of Fancy Number Plates
The Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court has ordered the removal of fancy number plates, government insignia and other unauthorised symbols from private vehicles within seven days. Vehicles that fail to comply will be barred from entering court premises.
ProPakistani reported that the directive was issued on Friday. According to the Sindh High Court Registrar, it applies to vehicles owned by lawyers, judicial officers, court staff and other relevant individuals.
The order is aimed at a familiar sight on Karachi roads: private cars carrying green plates, official-looking logos, blue lights, flags and badges that suggest a government link. The court has now drawn a line under that practice for vehicles connected to the courts.
What fancy number plates and symbols must be removed
The order requires the removal of a long list of items from private vehicles. These are green number plates, government logos, monograms, blue lights, stickers, badges, flags, inscriptions, flashers, revolving lights, and fake government or AFR number plates.
Each item on the list works in the same way. It signals authority, or it hides the vehicle’s real identity, or it does both. A green plate suggests an official vehicle. A government logo or monogram suggests a government office. A flasher or revolving light suggests an emergency or protocol vehicle. A fake government or AFR plate goes further, since it presents a false registration to anyone who reads it.
The registrar said the unauthorised use of official symbols and illegal number plates on private vehicles posed serious security risks. It also created a false impression of government privileges. That second point matters for daily life. A driver with a fake official marker can expect faster passage, deference at checkpoints, and fewer questions. A driver without one cannot.
Who must comply, and who is exempt
The Chief Justice has directed judicial staff, judicial officers and lawyers to ensure compliance with the law. The directive therefore starts with the court community itself. Lawyers, judicial officers and court staff who own private vehicles must strip the listed items from those vehicles within seven days.
However, vehicles covered under Rule 76(f) of the Sindh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Rules 2017 will be exempt from the directive. The report of the order did not set out the scope of that exemption in detail. Owners who claim the exemption should therefore be ready to show that their vehicle falls under it, rather than assume it applies.
What happens after seven days
The court has warned that vehicles failing to comply within seven days will be denied entry to the Sindh High Court, the City Court, and district and sessions courts. For lawyers and court staff, that is a direct working penalty. A lawyer who cannot drive into court premises must find another way in, and a court officer faces the same problem.
Vehicle owners who violate the directive may also face police action in accordance with the law. The order does not name a specific fine or charge. It leaves enforcement to police action under the relevant law, alongside the court entry ban.
The seven-day window runs from Friday, when the directive was issued. Owners therefore have a short, fixed period to comply, not an open-ended grace period.
Why the court acted now
Courts depend on clear identification. Police at a court gate must know who is entering, in which vehicle, and on what authority. A private car dressed up with official symbols breaks that check. It also breaks public trust, since ordinary citizens can see one rule for marked cars and another for everyone else.
Frequently asked questions
How long do owners have to remove fancy number plates?
Seven days from Friday, when the Sindh High Court directive was issued.
Which vehicles does the order cover?
Private vehicles owned by lawyers, judicial officers, court staff and other relevant individuals. Vehicles covered under Rule 76(f) of the Sindh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Rules 2017 are exempt.
What must be removed?
Green number plates, government logos, monograms, blue lights, stickers, badges, flags, inscriptions, flashers, revolving lights, and fake government or AFR number plates.
What happens to vehicles that do not comply?
They will be denied entry to the Sindh High Court, the City Court, and district and sessions courts. Owners may also face police action in accordance with the law.
