Pakistan Carmakers Auto Policy Copy Still Awaited
The Pakistan carmakers auto policy row deepened this week, as the country’s carmakers said they do not yet have an official copy of the new auto policy, days after the government announced it. The Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) has now written to the Ministry of Industries and Production asking for one.
In a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Production, PAMA Director General Razi-ur-Rahman congratulated the ministry on announcing the long-awaited policy and called it a need of the time. Then he made the practical point: the industry needs the document itself.
“We will be grateful if an official copy of the document is shared with the association for the benefit of its members,” he wrote, ProPakistani reported on Wednesday.
PAMA represents the country’s major vehicle makers. These are the same companies that will have to follow the policy’s new rules on prices, exports, and vehicle quality. The request shows the industry is still working from public statements instead of the actual document.
Pakistan carmakers auto policy: what the new policy promises
The new auto policy was approved last week. At a press conference in Islamabad, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar, set out its main points.
Carmakers will not be allowed to take more than 20% of a car’s price as advance payment. The policy aims to raise auto exports from $200 million to $6 billion, and manufacturers that miss their export targets will face penalties. It also adds 45 new quality standards and raises the financing limit for electric vehicles from Rs2 million to Rs10 million.
Akhtar said car prices will gradually come down under the policy. ProPakistani has earlier reported how much vehicle prices are expected to drop, but those estimates rest on the fine print that the industry has not yet seen.
The gap between announcement and document is the story. A policy that caps advance payments, sets export targets, and adds quality standards cannot be applied from a press conference. Factories need the text to plan production, pricing, and exports.
An industry already divided on the policy
The letter is the second sign in two days that the industry is uneasy. Parts makers said on November 10 that the new auto policy favours imports, arguing that the balance of the package helps assemblers who import kits rather than local parts producers.
Our explainer on the policy set out the headline promises: cheaper cars and more electric vehicles. The PAMA letter adds a simpler complaint, which is that the people who must carry out the policy do not have it yet.
Price pressure is already visible in the market. Suzuki raised GS 150 and GD 110s prices by Rs10,000 on November 10, a reminder that buyers are paying more even as the government promises prices will fall.
The fuel network is changing at the same time. Oil marketing companies are expanding petrol pumps despite the EV push, showing that petrol retail still sees growth ahead even as electric vehicles gain policy support.
What happens next
The ministry has not said when the official copy will be shared. Until it is, carmakers cannot confirm how the 20% advance cap will work, which exports count toward the new targets, or how the 45 quality standards will be checked.
That uncertainty has a cost. Export contracts, production plans, and dealer terms all depend on the rules as written, not as announced. Each week without the document is a week in which the industry plans on guesswork.
The PAMA letter is polite, and it congratulates the ministry before asking for the paper. But the message is plain: announce the policy, then share it. Until that happens, the auto policy exists in headlines more than in factories.
Frequently asked questions
What did PAMA ask the government for?
It asked the Ministry of Industries and Production for an official copy of the new auto policy, so that its member companies can read the actual rules instead of relying on public statements.
What does the new auto policy include?
It caps advance payments at 20% of a car’s price, aims to raise auto exports from $200 million to $6 billion with penalties for missed targets, adds 45 new quality standards, and raises the EV financing limit from Rs2 million to Rs10 million.
Who wrote to the ministry?
PAMA Director General Razi-ur-Rahman wrote to the Secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Production on behalf of the association, which represents Pakistan’s major vehicle makers.
When was the auto policy approved?
The policy was approved last week, and the government announced it at a press conference in Islamabad. Carmakers say they still have no official copy days later.
