KARACHI: Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) chairman Altaf Shakoor has said that Pakistan needs plan for import substitution. He said we need to manufacture solar panels and accessories locally to overcome current energy crisis successfully.
He urged the government, industry leaders and leading engineering experts to join hands to make a viable plan for manufacturing cars and other vehicles locally so that on one hand the consumers may be given cost benefit and on the other side precious foreign exchange could be saved, besides creating new job opportunities for our youth.
He said that the local automobile industry still awaits a boost so that to end Pakistan's dependency on imported or semi-imported vehicles.
He said every year we spend billions of dollars to import vehicles from Japan and other countries.
He said local engineering industry should be modernised to make the dream of “Made in Pakistan” cars fully materialised.
He welcomed the initiative of Distinguished Innovation Collaboration & Entrepreneurship (DICE) Foundation - a US-based non-profit organisation run by expatriate Pakistanis – on unveiling Pakistan’s first-ever indigenous electric car, a fully functional prototype of EV Nur E75, designed by automotive expatriate from USA and EU in collaboration with local academia and industry, that is all set for the testing and regulatory approval, now.
Altaf Shakoor hoped that this electric vehicle project will open up many doors for the currently dollar-strapped Pakistan on its journey towards sustained economic prosperity.
He congratulated Eng Dr Khurshid Qureshi, Chairperson Distinguished Innovation Collaboration & Entrepreneurship (DICE) Foundation on this project and hoped that the project will help combating climate change, and sustained prosperity for Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022