A large number of impounded vehicles can be seen parked at police stations or in the grounds of the Rawalpindi Police Lines.

Among them are late-model luxury vehicles in perfect condition, some older models in poor state; yet others damaged or wrecked. A row of wagons and pickup cars and quite a few motorcycles are also there rusting under rain and sun.

These vehicles were impounded by the police for various reasons while others were found abandoned after their use by criminal elements. Likewise, thousands of cars impounded by other departments become government property under different laws. Such vehicles are required to be auctioned and the amount earned deposited in national treasury. Keeping them in the open for months and years and allowing them to rust and become useless scrap deprives the government of a source of earning. In case the vehicles were government property the loss that could have been reduced by salvaging a part of the cost in auction becomes total.

Perhaps for the first time, in recent years, the Supreme Court took notice of the impounded vehicles, those under 'Superdari' or being plied without fulfilling legal formalities and directed the authorities to submit a detailed report on the impounded or abandoned vehicles.

As can be imagined a number of impounded vehicles that are in good condition are freely used by senior police officers as well as low ranking policemen and their friends and, according to reports, even by some journalists with connections.

Although, only a court of law can hand over a confiscated or abandoned vehicle (on superdari) to its owner, influential people have no difficulty in getting possession of such luxury vehicles as a favour.

The apex court has held this practice to be in violation of the law. Recently one such car being used by a police inspector was stolen from outside his house in Rawalpindi. The theft was overlooked and no one in the police department took notice of the serious matter, nor was its FIR got registered.

Who authorised the police inspector to use the confiscated car? Did the police officer directly responsible for safeguarding impounded vehicles take any notice? Was the misuse brought to the notice of the regional police officer or the CPO Rawalpindi? If the said car was really stolen, what measures were taken for its recovery and to catch the thief? The answer to these questions is in the negative because the car was taken from the Police Lines with somebody's permission. If as the police claim that they have a system for tracking stolen vehicles, then they should have recovered the car by now (especially when it was stolen from outside the residence of the police inspector) and deposited back to the Police Lines since it was government property.

Whenever a vehicle is confiscated or found by the police, first of all it is removed to the police station where its particulars are noted. And, if no one claims it within a specific time, it is shifted to the Police Lines for auction.

Particulars of all the impounded or abandoned vehicles are noted down on a register 'No-19' by a police officer in the Police Lines. Once that has been done, no one can take away such vehicles without bringing the act on record and without court orders. But these rules are flouted for the convenience of officials who can have free rides in luxury vehicles with family and friends or get new model cars at a much cheaper price.

The Police Lines ground has become a big junkyard of confiscated and abandoned vehicles and two wheelers.

It has also become a supply centre for spare-parts' dealers who buy the parts and accessories removed from the impounded vehicles at throw away prices from police 'mechanics'.

As a result only the hulk remains of what was once a running vehicle.

According to Ishfaq Anwar, the in-charge of the Police Lines, there were nearly 100 vehicles and the same number of motorbikes parked there. Auctions of such vehicles were held regularly in the past but since the introduction of the local government system, there had been no such auction.

He said now an auction can be ordered by a sessions judge and police had nothing to do with it. They had written to the sessions judge for the disposal of the vehicles as no place was left to park them in the Police Lines' compound.

If police statistics are to be believed, nearly 400 cars and

around 300 motorcycles were stolen from different parts of the city during this year. Police say the stolen vehicles were taken to tribal areas by the auto-thieves? This is surprising as government claims that the border along the Tribal Areas of the NWFP has been sealed off and there was heavy deployment of forces there. Where are the stolen vehicles going then?

After the Supreme Court notice, the district police had submitted details of the impounded and 'found' vehicles and informed the court that no such vehicle was being misused. This could be the truth as for the sake of the inquiry such vehicles could have been taken back by the police for the time being.

But the fate of the stolen car from outside the police inspector's house is yet to be known.