ISLAMABAD: The capital police have warned all government officials and officers to obtain valid driving licences by October 1 or face legal action, after a large number of civil servants were found driving vehicles and motorcycles without permits.

Officers in the capital police told Dawn that earlier this week, Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) conducted an operation in and around the Pakistan Secretariat in response to complaints of wrong parking inside the premises, which was causing hurdles in the movement of vehicles.

Police teams reached the secretariat with lifters and removed vehicles and motorcycles parked on the roads instead of designated parking blocks. Dozens of wrongly parked vehicles and motorcycles were shifted to other locations, while some cars were taken into custody.

Later, it emerged that the impounded vehicles belonged to government officers and officials working in various blocks of the secretariat. When police asked them to produce driving licences while issuing tickets for wrong parking, many failed to do so.

The matter was brought to the attention of senior officers, who ordered the release of the vehicles with a warning. Officials were cautioned against wrong parking in the future and directed to obtain driving licences.

A deadline of October 1 was set for the officers and officials to obtain licences to avoid legal consequences.

Under the law, the capital police can impound vehicles and motorcycles and impose fines on drivers operating without valid licences.

The police officials said the matter would also be taken up with government departments and ministries to ensure compliance. The ITP has decided to deploy four facilitation vans outside government offices and departments, including the Pak-Secretariat and offices along Constitution Avenue, so that officials can obtain their licences conveniently at their workplaces.