Senate passes resolution to set up infrastructure for electric vehicles

The Senate has unanimously passed three resolutions on subjects including electric vehicles (EVs) and establishment of charging stations network and infrastructure across the country.

Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz, while commenting on the resolution on EVs tabled by Senator Seemee Ezdi, said the government had earlier approved the Electric Vehicle Policy that would help tackle environmental issues and save billions of rupees oil import bill.

He added that people are importing luxury and hybrid vehicles and there is the need for an effective infrastructure to promote a friendly transport system in the country.

Faraz highlighted that the government also gave incentives on import of parts of electric vehicles and other related machinery, and decreased levy on electric vehicles from 25 to 10 per cent.

The upper house of parliament also passed a resolution, moved by Senator Kamran Murtaza, to ensure representation of all federating units in the Federal Public Service Commission, Islamabad.

Also read: ‘Made in Pakistan’ EVs to be launched soon

Another resolution called upon the government to take measures to implement the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2017, in letter and spirit, establishing a state of the art ADR mediation model in Islamabad’s jurisdiction to provide alternatives to litigation.

Meanwhile, the senators deferred a resolution, moved by Senator Mohammad Humyun Mohammad, that sought necessary constitutional and administrative steps to declare erstwhile Fata as ‘rural area’ of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to protect its quota in government jobs and educational institutions on a permanent basis, as was being practised in rural Sindh.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said that a 3 per cent quota had been reserved for the people of erstwhile Fata, for up till 2030.

He suggested the house to refer the resolution to the provincial government for further consultation.

Endorsing the point of view, Leader of the Opposition Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that the house should take the opinion from the provincial government on the issue.