KARACHI, Pakistan: The government of Sindh, Pakistan’s southern province, announced on Thursday its decision to phase out fuel-powered vehicles, primarily those running on gasoline and diesel, by purchasing electrical vehicles (EVs) for the government offices in Karachi, the provincial capital.
The provincial government will auction all the existing vehicles within a month and purchase the EVs. The decision was made at the meeting of the Sindh Cabinet’s Sub-Committee on Austerity, chaired by Senior Provincial Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, in Karachi.
Provincial ministers Saeed Ghani, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Ali Hassan Zardari, and various department secretaries were also present.
The committee issued instructions to regulate the allotment of government vehicles through clear guidelines. Secretaries of various departments presented a 10-year record of government vehicles.
“The auction process should be completed within a month to avoid further waste of resources and to fulfil the need for new vehicles, said Memon, adding that the purchase of EVs would benefit the government by saving on fuel costs.
The government, he said, is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of public resources. He warned that those misusing government vehicles should return them as per government orders.
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Saeed Ghani stated that timely auctioning of outdated fuel-powered vehicles is crucial to reduce unnecessary expenses, urging the departments with surplus vehicles to return them to the government.
A day earlier, to facilitate the trend of EVs get hold in Pakistan, the federal government announced a decrease in the tariff for EV charging stations by 45 per cent.
The announcement was made by Pakistan’s Minister for Energy Sardar Awais Ahmed Laghari during a press conference in Islamabad. He said charging stations will now receive Rs. 39.70 per, down from the previous rate of Rs. 71 per unit.
