The government of Pakistan has allowed importing of new cars of 1350cc or less. These cars will be imported custom duty-free for the personal use of the people who are physically challenged. The Federal Board of Revenue has issued a notification in which it allows to import cars for disabled persons to overcome their disability.

According to the notification the disabled person should have import authorization certificate from the commerce ministry at the time of import of the car. Under terms and conditions of notification, only one car would be allowed to import by a disable person. The person would not have any right to sell or transfer the car to any person before the expiry of five years from the date of its arrival in Pakistan.

Policy or Eligibility criteria

A Pakistani nationality holder, suffering from physical disability may apply to import a new car of the said capacity

The cars will be imported with the capacity of 1,300cc or less.

Only brand new cars would be imported. The imported cars would be used personally and would not be used for commercial purposes.

The applicant has to show his/her driver’s license, disability certificate and a verifiable income of Rs20, 000-100,000 per month.

The provincial excise and taxation department would issue a special registration number and a special color plates mentioning “Disabled Person Car”.

Many of the citizens complain that the defined policy to import new cars for disabled is very unreasonable and creates hurdle for any disable from taking advantage of the offer. This is the reason that not a single car is still imported although ministry has issued this certification on September 28, 2009 and many applications are under process.

It is also complained that the board is incompetent and incomplete as it does not have a single doctor or medical officers. Many of the citizens are also of the view that how a disable person may have a driving license if he does not have a car outfitted with special gadgets or in the absence of driving centers for the disabled?  

The condition of having an income of 20,000-100, 000 is also much unrealistic. This means that only those persons can apply to import the cars that are having a job. Many of the disabled people can’t enjoy the offered facility.

The special colored plate with words “disabled person’s car” may also have damaging effects on the psyche of the driving one.

Dr Khalid Jameel Akhtar suggested that government should give a special subsidy for the disabled persons in purchasing a three wheelers, motor cycles or locally assembled cars. He is also of the opinion that government should allow the disables to import any non-luxury vehicle.