Separate policy for hybrid vehicles sought

E-Paper | October 01, 2026

Separate policy for hybrid vehicles sought

Kalbe Ali Published March 6, 2021

Ministry of Industries has decided that hybrid vehicles will be covered in the new Auto Policy. — AFP/File

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ISLAMABAD: The auto sector has demanded government come up with a separate policy for the promotion of local assembly of hybrid cars along with incentives for the vendors to reduce dependence on imported parts.

Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar was presented with this demand by Indus Motor Ltd Company Ltd Chief Executive Ali Asghar Jamali on Friday seeking an independent hybrid vehicle policy on the lines of Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy approved by the government in December 2020.

However, sources said that the Ministry of Industries in a recent meeting chaired by Mr Azhar has decided that hybrid vehicles will be covered in the new Auto Policy expected to be finalised in the coming months. The existing five-year policy is set to expire in June.

“The general trend the world over is that countries move towards the hybrid vehicles as electric vehicles require serious infrastructure development such as charging points and a new set of vendors as well as repair mechanics,” said a senior official of the ministry.

Talking to media persons after meeting the industries minister, Mr Jamali said that it will take up to two years for local assembly of hybrid cars after the policy is approved, adding that there are a series of steps required to achieve road worthiness.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2021

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Kalbe Ali is a senior staff reporter for Dawn based in Islamabad, with nearly 20 years of field reporting experience. He covers a diverse range of topics, including the internet, IT and telecom sectors, as well as religious affairs.

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Jamilurrehman

Mar 06, 2021 11:55am

It is extremely unwise to subsidize electric or hybrid vehicles in Pakistan. Such subsidies only benefit the rich who import luxury vehicles in the guise of environment consciousness. The environmental impact of prohibiting import of used vehicles with older and dirtier engines and of taking old ill maintained vehicles spewing out noxious fumes would be much much higher. But, there is no money to be made there.

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M. Emad

Mar 06, 2021 12:01pm

What happens to Pakistan's 'Water-fuelled car invention' claim (2012) ?

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M. Saeed

Mar 06, 2021 02:03pm

Instead of entirely depending on public power charging bstations for EVs, a home based charging system should be developed that can charge vehicles during the night time, when most of the vehicles are not used.

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A khan

Mar 06, 2021 05:38pm

Getting electric or hybrid cars into Pakistan should help offset the huge oil import bill. Assembly of such vehicles should be expedited as much as possible.

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