Islamabad Capital Territory Police have announced a six-day programme that will bring driving licence and other police services directly to citizens across the federal capital. Under the schedule, mobile facilitation vans will visit eighteen locations between November 2 and November 7, giving residents a chance to complete routine police work close to home instead of travelling to a central office. For a city in which students, office workers and families all juggle busy days, the chance to handle such tasks at a nearby campus or public place is a practical step forward.
An official of the Islamabad police told the Associated Press of Pakistan that three mobile units will take part in the programme. The fleet includes a Police Station on Wheels and two facilitation vans, and together they will visit educational institutions, residential areas and public places, carrying services to citizens at their doorsteps. The idea behind the doorstep model is simple: rather than asking everyone to come to the police, the police go to where people already are, whether that is a university, a neighbourhood market or a public institution.
The mobile units will operate every day from half past eight in the morning until five in the evening. During those hours they will offer a range of services that many residents need at some point in their lives. These include reports of missing items, police character certificates, learner driving permits, renewals of driving licences and duplicate driving licences. The two facilitation vans will also provide driving test sheets and other licence-related services. A character certificate, for example, is a document that many people are asked for when applying for a job or for admission, while a learner permit is the first step for a new driver. By offering both under one roof on wheels, the programme covers a large share of the everyday paperwork that brings citizens into contact with the police.
The week begins on Monday, November 2, with the Police Station on Wheels stationed at Iqra University in sector H-9, Van-I at the Federal Urdu University in Islamabad, and Van-II at the FAST University in sector H-11. Starting the tour at three universities sets the tone for the week, since students are among the groups most likely to need learner permits, character certificates and other documents, and a campus visit saves them a separate trip across the city.
On Tuesday, November 3, the units move to the COMSATS University on Park Road, the National University of Technology in sector I-12, and the National University of Sciences and Technology in sector H-12. Wednesday, November 4, takes them to the Government Degree College for Boys at Thanda Pani, the International Islamic University in sector H-10, and the Capital University of Science and Technology on the Islamabad Expressway. The pattern is clear: the programme is deliberately built around places of learning, where large numbers of young people can be served in a single visit, while also reaching residential and public locations as the week goes on.
Thursday, November 5, brings a mix of campuses and a neighbourhood stop. The units will be stationed at the National University of Modern Languages in sector H-9/4, the International Islamic University in sector H-10, and the PWD Market near Patiala Jewelers.
On Friday, November 6, the mobile units will provide services at Riphah University in sector I-14, the Air Headquarters in sector E-9, and the Rangers Headquarters at Bari Imam. The week then closes on Saturday, November 7, with visits to Kirpa Village, Benazir Chowk in Tarnol, and Gate 1 of DHA Phase 5. Ending the tour in residential areas and a housing society entrance means that people who could not visit during the working week still have a chance to use the service on the weekend, close to where they live.
For anyone who needs further information, the police have shared contact numbers for the service. Citizens can contact the facilitation service in-charge, Sub-Inspector Nazia Rafique, on 0313-6260626. The Police Station on Wheels can be reached on 0313-5235946, Van-I on 0315-5798711, and Van-II on 0300-2322883. Having a named officer and a direct number for each unit makes the programme easier to use, since residents can confirm the day’s location before setting out rather than arriving to find a van has moved on.
The wider value of the programme lies in what it says about how public services can be delivered. Long queues and repeated visits to government offices are a familiar frustration, and they cost people time that could be spent studying or working. A mobile unit that arrives on a campus or in a neighbourhood removes much of that friction, and it also brings the police into regular, helpful contact with the public. If the six-day tour runs smoothly, it could serve as a model for future rounds, reaching more sectors and more communities in the capital. For this week, at least, the message to Islamabad’s residents is straightforward: check the schedule, find the stop nearest to you, and let the police service come to you.
