LAHORE: The Punjab government has announced a ban on the procurement of petrol and diesel vehicles across all provincial departments, allowing only electric and hybrid vehicles as part of its efforts to reduce emissions and promote clean transportation.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, who said the decision reflected the government’s commitment to environmental protection and green energy. Vehicles used for field duties, however, have been exempted from the restriction.
Mr Zaman said a comprehensive Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy for Punjab is expected to be unveiled shortly, further reinforcing the province’s shift towards sustainable transport.
As part of the initiative, the issuance of no-objection certificates (NOCs) for new petrol pumps has been made conditional on the installation of EV charging facilities. “No new petrol pump will be allowed to operate without EV charging units,” the chief secretary said.
According to the statement, NOCs have already been issued through the e-Biz Portal for 170 new petrol pumps across 31 cities in Punjab, all of which will be required to install EV charging infrastructure. These include 29 pumps in Faisalabad, 14 in Lahore, 10 in Bahawalpur, nine each in Khanewal and Bahawalnagar, eight each in Rawalpindi and Jhang, and seven each in Toba Tek Singh, Mianwali, Kasur and Chiniot.
However, questions remain over the formal status of the policy. No notification has yet been issued by the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) regarding the ban on petrol and diesel vehicle procurement. An official of the S&GAD Transport Wing told Dawn that the department had neither received formal approval nor issued any notification in this regard.
The official said discussions on transitioning to electric and hybrid vehicles had been ongoing in line with climate and environmental objectives, adding that the policy would come into effect once formally approved by the chief minister, after which the S&GAD would issue a notification.
Separately, Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, speaking to American business leaders, reiterated that the provincial government would now purchase only hybrid and electric vehicles as part of its smog mitigation strategy. She said petrol vehicles in the official fleet would be gradually replaced with cleaner alternatives.
During the briefing, the US delegation was informed about Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s policy vision, governance reforms, and environmental initiatives, which the visiting business leaders reportedly commended.
Ms Aurangzeb said Punjab had introduced sector-specific anti-smog measures in Lahore for the first time, with the Planning and Development Department designated as the central policy hub. She noted that the city’s air quality had shown significant improvement.
To combat smog, she said 41 air quality monitoring stations had been installed, with the number set to increase to 100 by June. Monitoring is being carried out using drones and thermal cameras, while a dedicated Smog War Room oversees industries, brick kilns and vehicles round the clock. She added that Punjab Climate Watch was fully operational.
To curb crop burning, the government has provided 5,000 super seeders to farmers at a 60 per cent subsidy. Ms Aurangzeb also claimed that a Nasa report had confirmed a 60 per cent reduction in smog levels.
She further said that 1,000 electric buses had already been introduced across Punjab, with a decision taken to procure an additional 10,000 e-buses during the current year.
Story by Mansoor Malik | Zulqernain Tahir
