Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated Pakistan’s New Energy Vehicle Policy 2025, describing it as a major step toward cleaner transport and climate resilience.
At the ceremony, the premier lauded the Ministry of Industries for drafting the policy and credited Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries & Production Haroon Akhtar Khan and Minister of Industries Rana Tanveer Hussain for their efforts. He also acknowledged the British government’s support in strengthening Pakistan’s electric vehicle (EV) framework.
Sharif reminded participants that Pakistan ranks among the countries most vulnerable to climate change despite contributing little to global greenhouse gas emissions. Recalling the devastation of the 2022 floods and noting that more than 700 Pakistanis, including children, have lost their lives this year alone to extreme weather events, he urged the Western world to extend “hand-holding and material support.” Without such help, he warned, Pakistan would be forced into deeper borrowing to confront recurring climate disasters.
The event also saw the premier distribute e-scooters to hundreds of top-performing students on a merit basis, with a 10 per cent higher quota allocated to Balochistan. He further announced that 100,000 laptops would soon be provided to high achievers nationwide.
Calling for a significant expansion of the programme, Sharif proposed raising funding from the current Rs9 billion to Rs90 billion in the next fiscal year, saying the move would enable millions of students to commute to schools, colleges, and universities while helping cut carbon emissions.
“This policy will not only empower our youth but also play a role in combating climate change,” the prime minister said.
