Pakistan to review safety standards of automobiles

PSQCA prepares to introduce quality standards more suited to Pakistan’s infrastructure

KARACHI: Pakistan has summoned local stakeholders related to auto manufacturing industry to review safety and quality standard as per the country’s infrastructure where vehicles should be more secure and tougher than other developed countries.

Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) is preparing to introduce new safety and quality standard for vehicles, which will be more suited for Pakistan’s infrastructure as vehicles should be tougher than other advanced countries where infrastructure is comparatively smoother and does not pose any threats or cause faster deterioration to vehicles.

“PSQCA has sought opinion from automobile sector stakeholders for new standards for vehicle in the country according to our infrastructure,” said PSQCA Media Adviser Rehmatullah Memon. He told The Express Tribune that the government wants to make vehicles’ standards according to Pakistan not according to other countries where infrastructure is excellent.

“Most of the cars that come into Pakistan are according to the standards of countries where roads are in good condition while here the infrastructure may not be as good,” he said. PSQCA adopts many international standards and makes its own too, he said.

The country has so far adopted around 20,000 world standards while it has 7,000 standards of its own. In some products international standards are enough and do not need to be changed, however, in some cases Pakistan needs its own standards according to its special needs, he added.

“In this regard, we have set up a committee to review the auto standards which are older and outdated now,” he said. He shared that a meeting was also held to discuss the issue on Monday.

Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) DG Abdul Waheed stressed that it was imperative for Pakistan to adopt WP29 agreement because disregarding international norms and regulations would make local standards technoeconomically unviable. He added that the adoption of WP29 would help obtain global recognition of Pakistani products as it confirmed that they are made in compliance with the European standards.

“Hence the government needs to provide sustainable quality conformance and upgrade PSQCA testing facilities to supplement support to national economy, which to date PSQCA has failed to build,” he said.