KP govt launches three inquiries into international driving license scam

PESHAWAR: Following complaints from the Pakistani High Commission in Australia and the Anti-Corruption Authority of Hong Kong, three simultaneous inquiries have been launched into a scam involving the forgery of international driving licenses.

This action was taken in response to instructions from the provincial government. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Transport Department as well as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have initiated investigations into the matter.

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Last week, the Provincial Secretary of Transport established a three-member high-level committee tasked with leading the investigations. The committee includes the Secretary of Law and Parliamentary Affairs, the Additional Inspector General (IG) of the Special Branch, and the Managing Director of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board.

The committee has been assigned three main tasks. The first is investigating the irregularities and forgeries associated with the issuance of international driving licenses by the transport department.

The second is examining the details of driving licenses issued, as provided by the Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to Directorate of Transport authorities. ICAC had provided these details with facilitation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Headquarters in Islamabad.

The third is reviewing the preliminary inquiry report submitted by the Director of Transport and submitting a comprehensive report within a month.

In addition to the committee’s inquiries, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also commenced a separate investigation into the alleged corruption and misuse of power by officers and personnel of the Transport Department in issuing driving licenses.

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NAB has sent a formal request to the Transport Secretary, asking for details of the licenses issued by the Directorate of Transport in the districts of Nowshera, Dera Ismail Khan, and North Waziristan between June 2023 and March 2024. NAB has also requested information on the assets of several officers involved.

Similarly, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) of KP has sent a letter to the Transport Secretary, demanding a comprehensive account of all international driving licenses issued to date.