By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Japanese businessman Malik Saleem has said he is ready to establish a full-scale electric bike and bus manufacturing factory in Pakistan, provided the government gives clear commitments and a buy-back guarantee.
Saleem highlighted his decade-long experience producing electric vehicles, buses, cars, and other heavy vehicles in China, which are now successfully sold in several Latin American countries, including Chile and Peru.
He suggested that if the government guarantees the initial purchase of 1,000 electric buses or provides a buy-back arrangement, he could relocate his existing factory to Pakistan. “The country needs a real manufacturing industry, particularly in the auto sector. Currently, most factories in Pakistan are limited to assembly, which neither creates large-scale employment nor facilitates technology transfer,” he said.
Saleem warned that reliance on assembly forces Pakistan to send significant foreign exchange abroad through imports and taxes. Localized manufacturing, he said, could reduce vehicle and bus prices substantially while generating thousands of jobs.
He added that, together with his Chinese and Japanese partners, he is capable of investing up to $1 billion in Pakistan, but stressed that serious government support, policy backing, and a buy-back commitment are essential. “Electric transport is not only an economic opportunity for Pakistan but also a crucial step for environmental sustainability, reducing fuel imports and addressing urban pollution,” Saleem said.
#Pakistan #ElectricVehicles #EVFactory #MalikSaleem #JapaneseInvestment #ElectricBikes #ElectricBuses #AutoIndustry #Manufacturing #TechnologyTransfer #JobCreation #LocalProduction #BuyBackGuarantee #ForeignInvestment #ChinaPartners #JapanPartners #EconomicOpportunity #SustainableTransport #UrbanPollution #FuelImportReduction #EVIndustry
