NA- Climate Change Committee reviews PSDP 2026-27 and Pakistan’s Electric Vehicle Policy; seeks roadmap for charging network and battery recycling

 

Islamabad (June 29, 2026) The Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, met today in the Committee Room 7 of Parliament House under the Chairpersonship of Acting Chair Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro,MNA. The Committee underscored the importance of regular ministerial engagement and accountability before the Committee, and the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination assured members of his continued availability for briefings.

 

2. The Committee was briefed on the Ministry’s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for FY 2026-27. The Federal Minister noted that the Ministry was operating within a constrained fiscal space and had prioritised projects of national significance, including new initiatives on a botanical garden and air quality, with private-sector participation to be explored. He briefed members on completed projects, including the Pakistan Biosafety Clearing House, established to meet the country’s reporting obligations under the Cartagena Protocol and to strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency and a water-quality initiative under which laboratories and testing facilities had been made operational, including under the WASH programme.

 

3. The Ministry apprised the Committee that recent regulatory decisions on genetically modified soybean and canola had supported the poultry sector, emphasising that it would be guided strictly by scientific evidence and food-security considerations and expressing willingness to align with stringent international standards, including those of the European Union. Members also raised concerns regarding water pollution and environmental degradation within the Islamabad Capital Territory. Particular attention was drawn to contaminated water sources and untreated wastewater entering natural streams. Officials informed the Committee that action was being taken against illegal discharges and that a sewage treatment facility at Korang Nullah was under development to reduce pollution flowing into Rawal Dam. The Committee further discussed institutional coordination on climate financing, green taxonomy, international partnerships and the formulation of new National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which are expected to be finalised later this year with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

 

4. The Ministry of Industries and Production, together with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, briefed the Committee on Pakistan’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, developed by the Engineering Development Board in consultation with development partners, think tanks and universities. The briefing outlined incentives for electric two- and three-wheelers, measures to expand charging infrastructure, and ongoing efforts to encourage localisation of manufacturing and reduce reliance on imported components. Members sought clarification regarding the availability of charging stations, affordability of electric vehicles, battery recycling mechanisms, incentives for manufacturers, indigenous production of spare parts and long-term sustainability of the transition. The Committee was informed that more than one hundred licensed charging stations had already been approved, that new petrol stations in Islamabad would be required to include EV charging facilities, and that a comprehensive battery policy and recycling framework had been prepared and was awaiting approval. Members were apprised of Pakistan Accelerated Vehicle Electrification (PAVE) programme, additional schemes under consideration, including facilitation for government employees in grades BPS 1-16, sand kill-enhancement initiatives. 

 

5. The Committee recommended that the Ministry present a comprehensive briefing on Pakistan's policy framework relating to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and biosafety. It further directed the Ministry to furnish complete details of all laboratories certified to conduct vehicle emissions testing and to submit a detailed report on the demarcation and legal boundaries of the Margalla Hills National Park.

 

6. The meeting was attended by MNAs: Mir Khan Muhammad Jamali, Ms. Musarrat Asif Khawaja (via video link), Ms. Shaista Khan, Syeda Shehla Raza, Ms. Mussarat Rafique Mahesar, Ms. Rana Ansar, Ms. Tamkeen Akhter Niazi and Ms. Shahida Rehmani. Along with senior officers of the concerned ministries and departments and the Capital Development Authority.