ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Science and Technology has urged the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to revisit an earlier decision on environmental, safety and quality standards for imported vehicles, citing overlapping mandates with the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
The ministry has proposed modification of the ECC decision of September 24, 2025, particularly provisions relating to the formulation of environmental, safety and quality standards, testing and certification requirements for imported vehicles.
According to the ministry, these functions fall within the statutory mandate of the PSQCA under the Rules of Business, 1973 and the PSQCA Act, 1996, creating duplication of responsibilities between government institutions.
The ministry asked the ECC to direct the Ministry of Commerce to amend Clause 11 of SRO 61(1)/2026, issued on January 15, 2026, by removing provisions that overlap with the PSQCA’s functions. It also sought amendments to Clause (xvi) of SRO 1895, dated September 30, 2025, to eliminate similar duplication.
It further requested withdrawal of the Ministry of Industries and Production’s notification EDB/Auto/Import/WP-29/2025, dated September 30, 2025, concerning the adoption of environmental, safety and quality standards for imported vehicles.
The Ministry of Science and Technology also called for withdrawal of decisions taken during a March 16, 2026 meeting requiring the PSQCA to obtain a no-objection certificate from the Engineering Development Board (EDB) before registering automobile pre-shipment inspection (PSI) agencies.
It argued that the PSQCA is empowered under Section 8(xxiii) of the PSQCA Act to register inspection agencies, while SRO 2443, issued on December 16, 2025, also provides the authority with the relevant mandate.
The ministry said the proposed changes were necessary to prevent overlapping functions and encroachment on the statutory mandate of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the PSQCA.
During the ECC discussion, the Ministry of Industries and Production informed the forum that a committee headed by the Minister for Climate Change had already been constituted to examine the matter. The agenda was therefore deferred until the committee finalises its recommendations.
The ECC also directed that the relevant ministries be consulted and their views obtained before the matter is resubmitted for consideration.
The ECC was considering a summary submitted by the Ministry of Science and Technology titled “Review/Revisit of ECC Decision in Case No 172/22/2025 Dated 24.09.2025 Regarding Automobile Standards & Regulations”.
The S&T ministry told the committee that the PSQCA is a statutory body working under its administrative control and is mandated under the PSQCA Act, 1996 to formulate, adopt and notify national standards, including automobile standards, undertake conformity assessment activities, register inspection bodies and monitor product quality.
It further cited Schedule-I, Serial No. 36 of the Rules of Business, 1973, under which the Science and Technology Division has responsibility for standards-related functions assigned to the PSQCA.
The ministry also informed the ECC that the Ministry of Industries had submitted a draft Motor Vehicles Industry Development Act (MVIDA) 2025 for review. The S&T ministry had initially issued a no-objection through an office memorandum dated July 18, 2025, but subsequently withdrew it through a letter dated April 16, 2026, stating that it was inconsistent with the prevailing legal framework and the statutory mandates of the EDB and Ministry of Industries.
The S&T ministry said the PSQCA had already undertaken comprehensive work on automobile standards covering vehicles including buses, cars and tractors.
It added that the federal cabinet had recently approved standards for public service vehicles, including buses, which had been formulated and adopted by the PSQCA on the directives of the prime minister.
The ministry further noted that the draft Motor Vehicle Industries Development Act remained under consideration when the Ministry of Commerce submitted its September 24, 2025 summary to the ECC concerning the removal of quantitative restrictions on the commercial import of used vehicles. The proposals approved by the ECC were subsequently ratified by the federal cabinet.
Story by Zafar Bhutta
