ISLAMABAD – The Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production has called on the federal government to swiftly develop the necessary infrastructure to support the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), citing growing concerns over climate change and the continued reliance on fossil fuels.
Chaired by Senator Aon Abbas, the committee highlighted the lack of EV charging stations across Pakistan, even in major urban centers like Lahore, with the situation far worse in remote regions. Members stressed that without immediate action, environmental degradation will accelerate due to increasing vehicle emissions.
Officials from the Engineering Development Board (EDB) informed the committee that a comprehensive EV policy has been finalized and is ready for presentation, pending a meeting with the prime minister. In response, the committee recommended formally requesting the premier to allocate time for the EDB’s policy presentation.
To further refine the policy, a subcommittee headed by Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee was constituted to submit recommendations for an effective national EV strategy.
The meeting also reviewed the role and contributions of the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC). Members were briefed on Pakistan’s industrial history, noting that at the time of independence, the country had a negligible industrial base, inheriting just 34 factories out of 921 in the Indian Subcontinent—only 3.6% of the total. Despite the East Wing producing 70% of the world’s jute, there was no jute mill in Pakistan, while West Bengal (India) remained the primary processor and buyer. Similarly, only a fraction of the cotton produced in the West Wing could be processed domestically.
