PM urges nationwide EV push to cut fuel costs and protect economy

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called for a nationwide shift toward electric vehicles, presenting the move as an urgent economic and strategic response to rising global petroleum prices and regional instability. Speaking in Islamabad at a ceremony held for the handover of eco-smart electric vehicles to the Islamabad Traffic Police, he said Pakistan could no longer treat cleaner transport as a symbolic environmental gesture. In his view, the transition has become a practical national requirement linked directly to fuel savings, foreign exchange conservation and the broader resilience of the economy.

The announcement came as the federal government continues to navigate intense pressure from imported energy costs. Against that backdrop, the prime minister used the launch event to argue that battery-powered transport offers a way to reduce recurring fuel expenditure while easing dependence on costly petroleum imports. He urged other law-enforcement agencies and provincial administrations to follow the same path, signalling that the Islamabad rollout should be seen as the start of a wider model rather than a one-off urban pilot.

At the centre of the event was the induction of 15 electric vehicles provided by the interior ministry for traffic policing in the federal capital. Officials told the ceremony that the vehicles run without petrol or diesel and are intended for deployment on key avenues of Islamabad to help manage traffic flow more efficiently. Another batch is also expected to join the fleet, suggesting that the government wants to expand the programme after the first phase enters active use. The vehicles are being positioned not only as a cleaner alternative but also as an operational tool for visible, frontline public service.

Authorities shared technical and financial details aimed at strengthening the case for the switch. According to the briefing given at the event, each vehicle can travel around 350 to 400 kilometres on a full charge. Fast charging takes about 60 to 90 minutes, while regular charging ranges from six to eight hours. Officials further said that, compared with petrol-driven vehicles, each electric unit could save up to Rs0.55 million per month, and that the procurement cost could effectively be recovered within roughly 13 to 14 months through lower operating expenses.

Shehbaz Sharif described the initiative as significant at a time when Pakistan is under pressure to manage scarce foreign exchange and shield itself from the volatility of global oil markets. He said energy-saving steps of this kind would have a positive effect on the country’s reserves, underlining that every reduction in imported fuel use matters when external conditions are unstable. The prime minister also publicly praised Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his team for advancing the project, turning the ceremony into a broader message about how government departments should align daily operations with national economic priorities.

The briefing also outlined how the new traffic units are expected to function on the ground. Each vehicle is to be staffed by a dedicated team including a captain, responders and a driver, with personnel wearing a special uniform while operating across major roads in the capital. That operational detail matters because it shows the initiative is being framed not merely as a procurement decision, but as a redesign of how urban traffic management can be delivered. The government appears keen to show that electric mobility can serve both cost control and public-facing efficiency at the same time.

The wider significance of the announcement lies in the fact that Pakistan’s energy vulnerability has repeatedly shaped both economic policy and household hardship. Fuel price shocks quickly feed into transport fares, food prices, business costs and inflation expectations, leaving the state to absorb political backlash as well as fiscal strain. In that environment, a move toward electric fleets is being presented as a structural answer to a problem that has long been treated only through temporary relief measures. While the number of vehicles unveiled on Monday is modest, the symbolism is larger: the government is linking transport modernisation with national financial security.

There is also a governance angle to the push. Public-sector transport fleets consume large amounts of fuel over time, and even incremental savings can become meaningful if replicated across multiple departments. If the Islamabad pilot performs as projected, it may strengthen the case for scaling electric procurement to policing, municipal operations and other official services in major cities. That would not solve Pakistan’s energy challenges on its own, but it would mark a shift from short-term crisis management toward institutional adaptation through technology and operating reform.

The next test will be whether the government can translate the prime minister’s call into a broader, measurable rollout beyond the capital. That will require procurement capacity, charging infrastructure, maintenance planning and coordination with provinces that face different transport and budget realities. Even so, Monday’s message was unmistakable: in a period shaped by imported fuel risks and economic fragility, Islamabad wants electric mobility to move from a limited demonstration to a national priority with financial, administrative and policy consequences well beyond one ceremony.