RAWALPINDI: The luxury vehicles having illegal number plates are moving unchecked in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad owing to alleged negligence and mysterious silence of traffic police and excise and taxation departments of two cities. The trend for displaying the number plates on vehicles which are attributed to caste, area or community rather than original registration number is on rise. The owners of 1800 CC or above vehicles are seen moving freely with displaying number plates named after caste, community or area of owner rather than the number plates prescribed by excise and taxation department. The registration plates named after MNA, MPA, Senator, members of district council or chairman of some political party are being placed on the vehicles of influential. Most of these vehicles with unauthorized registration number plates are non-custom paid and are owned by senior bureaucrats and politicians. The district and traffic police even don’t dare to go near these vehicles and taking any action against them is out of question. These vehicles are not only a burden on national kitty in the perspective of non payment of any tax and custom duty but also prospects are there for their involvement in illegal activities because of non checking of their number plates by any agency. Declaring all such number plates absolutely illegal, Excise and Taxation Department Rawalpindi sources told Daily Times that there is no policy all over Punjab that anyone is allowed to display such number plates on one’s vehicle inscribed with name of one’s area, name, caste or community. They dispelled the impression that any particular policy is introduced or special fee is fixed for displaying these unauthorised and illegal number plates. Excise Department has specified size and colour of number plates of public and private vehicles and motorcycles and whosoever displays number plate other than specified one commits illegal act. They said that motor registration branch of Excise and Taxation Department from time to time conducts crackdown on the vehicles holding such number plates inscribed with caste of owner, area or community and these number plates are confiscated. VIP numbers are put to auction for willing persons but such persons are not allowed to display number plates on the mode other than that which is authorised by taxation department.