Islamabad – Imagine stepping out onto a street in Lahore or Karachi and breathing in cleaner air. Imagine fewer honking buses pumping out black smoke, and more quiet, zero-emission vehicles gliding past. That’s the future the government says it’s aiming for — and it starts with the launch of Pakistan’s New Electric Vehicle Policy 2025-2030.
Unveiled on Friday, the policy promises to put the country on a more climate-friendly path — and according to officials, it’s about more than just vehicles.
“This is not just a transport plan — it’s a health plan, an economic plan, a jobs plan,” said Muhammad Saleem Shaikh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, during a media briefing on Sunday. “Electric vehicles are one of the smartest investments we can make for our people and our planet.”
Pakistan’s transport sector currently contributes heavily to both greenhouse gas emissions and the choking urban air pollution that residents in cities like Lahore, Karachi, and Faisalabad are all too familiar with. The new policy aims to turn that around — with a goal that by 2030, 30% of all new vehicles sold will be electric. That includes everything from motorcycles and rickshaws to buses and cars.
And officials say it’s not just a climate goal — it’s a public health imperative.
“Cleaner air will mean fewer children struggling with asthma and fewer elders ending up in hospitals with heart conditions,” said Mohammad Azeem Khoso, an expert on urban air pollution and part of the ministry’s core policy team. “That alone could save us billions in healthcare costs.”
The electric vehicle shift is also expected to help Pakistan reduce its dependency on imported fuel, shielding the country from global oil price shocks and giving the economy some much-needed breathing room.
Mohammad Asif Sahibzada, Director General at the Ministry, called the policy “a major leap forward.” He emphasized that it was shaped with input from not just the Ministry of Climate Change, but also the Ministry of Industries and Production, manufacturers, environmental experts, and key voices from both public and private sectors.
“We’ve seen how the transport sector contributes to climate change, air pollution, and economic strain,” he said. “This policy is a roadmap to a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive future.”
One of the key targets? Getting more electric two- and three-wheelers on the road — a segment that makes up the bulk of daily traffic in urban Pakistan. According to officials, supporting infrastructure like charging stations, local EV manufacturing, and green job creation is also part of the plan.
The move also aligns with Pakistan’s global commitments — especially under the Paris Agreement, where the country has pledged to cut carbon emissions and invest in sustainable development.
But beyond numbers and international deals, the shift is also about ordinary people — commuters, students, families — who just want a healthier place to live.
“We want to see children grow up in cities where they don’t have to wear masks just to breathe,” Shaikh added. “We want to reduce emissions, yes — but also create jobs, improve public health, and support innovation. That’s the real power of this transition.”
For now, it’s early days. But if all goes to plan, the roads of Pakistan may look — and smell — very different by the end of this decade.
