Pakistan unveils New EV policy to drive clean future
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday rolled out Pakistan’s New Energy Vehicle (NEV) Policy 2025-30, touting it as a landmark step to curb emissions, cut fuel imports and put the country on the road to a cleaner, youth-driven economy.
Unveiling the plan at a ceremony in Islamabad, Shehbaz said the policy reflects Pakistan’s national commitment to sustainable transport, climate resilience and industrial modernization. “This policy is not only about clean energy. It is about empowering our youth, reducing our carbon footprint, and opening the door to a new era of innovation and opportunity,” he told the gathering.
To underscore the link between clean energy and education, the premier distributed e-scooters to top-performing students from across Pakistan, including a 10 percent quota for Balochistan. He also promised 100,000 laptops for high achievers and urged parliament to expand the scheme’s funding from Rs9 billion to Rs90 billion in the next fiscal year.
Shehbaz highlighted Pakistan’s climate vulnerability, recalling the deadly 2022 floods and hundreds of lives lost this year to extreme weather. He appealed for global support, saying Pakistan contributes little to global emissions but bears heavy costs.
Industries Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan called the NEV Policy “a blueprint for Pakistan’s clean transport revolution,” noting it aims to slash the country’s oil import bill and urban air pollution that costs more than Rs105 billion annually. With surplus power capacity of 125 terawatt hours, he said, shifting to electric bikes—three times cheaper per kilometer than petrol—offers both affordability and sustainability.
Federal Minister Rana Tanvir Hussain praised the continuity of the initiative, first conceived during his earlier tenure, and said its execution reflects national interest above politics.
