Electric cars to be launched in Pakistan by end-2021: Amin

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister and Minister for Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said the most-awaited electric cars would be launched in Pakistan by end-2021 under the Electric Vehicle (EV) policy.

Talking to a private news channel, he said it would help boost the economy, reduce pollution, and generate employment opportunities.

The special assistant said Pakistan had already introduced electric motorcycles and rickshaws in a bid to reduce carbon emissions in line with its ‘Green Pakistan’ campaign.

Amin was of the view that the electric motorcycles, rickshaws and cars were the future of the country’s transportation system.

Pakistan has been on a speedy path to combat climate challenges, and taken several measures, including planting 10 billion trees, ban on single-use plastic bags, policy on electric vehicles, green buildings, proper waste management, clean drinking water, 15 new national parks, projects related to melting glaciers, natural based isolation and various climate smart agriculture projects, he added.

He said the government would announce a national park service soon under which more local communities would be involved already running national parks to protect nearby conservation areas. It would help generate more revenue.

Besides boosting eco-tourism in the country, Amin said, the project would create new jobs, mainly for young people who would work as park custodians.

He mentioned that it was an honor for Pakistan as it was hosting the World Environment Day and celebrating the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.

Sharing details of the event, he said the prime minister would launch the country’s first Blue Carbon Report. It had never been conducted earlier and would highlight various steps to tackle environmental related crises, he added.

He said a climate-smart agricultural policy would soon also be introduced in the country, which would initially start in eight districts and later on, expanded across the country.

This smart agriculture project would modernize agricultural methods for a country like Pakistan where almost half the population relied on agriculture to make a living, he added.

This programme would strengthen the agricultural system along the Indus River and train farmers regarding agriculture techniques besides better management of the irrigation system, he maintained.