Published on: August 27, 2025 6:30 AM
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated Pakistan’s New Energy Vehicle Policy 2025, describing it as a step toward cleaner transport and climate resilience.
Addressing the ceremony, the premier credited the Ministry of Industries for formulating the policy, and praised the efforts of Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Industries & Production, and Minister of Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain.
“I have been part of the meetings and I’d like to really appreciate the hard work done by Haroon Akhtar, Secretary Industry, and of course, other relevant institutions in the federal government, as well as in the provincial governments here,” he noted.
He also acknowledged the support of the British government in advancing Pakistan’s electric vehicle (EV) framework.
The prime minister emphasised that Pakistan was among the countries worst hit by Climate Change, despite having a negligible contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.
He recalled the devastation of the 2022 floods and said this year alone, more than 700 Pakistanis, including children, had lost their lives to extreme weather events.
“The Western world must provide hand-holding and material support,” the PM stressed, warning that without international assistance, Pakistan would remain trapped in further borrowing to cope with climate disasters.
The prime minister also distributed e-scooters to hundreds of top-performing students, emphasising that the allocation was based solely on merit. He announced a 10 per cent higher quota for Balochistan and confirmed that 100,000 laptops would soon be given to high achievers nationwide.
The premier also urged expanding the programme’s funding from the current Rs9 billion to Rs90 billion in the next fiscal year, saying it would help millions of students commute to schools, colleges, and universities while reducing carbon emissions.
“This policy will not only empower our youth but also play a role in combating climate change,” Sharif said.
