Pakistan imposes sudden vehicle scrap mandate on citizens after decades of inaction
Lahore, July 25
In an attempt to address severe environmental degradation in the province, the administration in Pakistan's Punjab has issued an ordinance to define and enforce the disposal of vehicular scrap.
According to Dawn, Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan promulgated the "Provincial Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Ordinance 2026" on an immediate basis, bypassing the legislative process while the Punjab Assembly was not in session.
The new measure inserts Chapter VI-A into the legacy Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965. Under the gazette notification published by the Punjab Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department, any motor or transport vehicle that loses valid registration or faces cancellation under Section 35 will automatically be classified as an "end-of-life vehicle".
Dawn reported that the scope covers vehicles failing mandatory fitness or emission checks under Section 39-A. The directive also applies to vehicles destroyed by accidents, fires or natural calamities, alongside those voluntarily turned over by owners for dismantling.
The legal provision outlines "Scrapping of end-of-life vehicle" as complete disposal, recycling, depolluting, component salvaging or crushing structural frames. Section 74-A mandates that such vehicles "shall" be scrapped via private facilities or units set up by the Transport and Mass Transit Department.
Section 74-B grants powers to establish rules for full execution. In its 'Statement of Objects and Reasons', the Transport Department acknowledged that the region had lacked any statutory framework to retire ageing, highly polluting vehicles since 1965, delaying fundamental air quality management and the transition towards electric mobility.
As per Dawn, the administration has yet to finalise detailed operational rules, including specific vehicle age caps, standardised testing protocols and licensing guidelines for scrap facilities.
Dawn noted that while officials claim the framework aligns with international anti-pollution standards, the unilateral move is expected to pile fresh economic distress onto private and commercial vehicle owners in the region.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting how Pakistan is copying India's vehicle scrappage policy but doing it overnight. We had years of discussion and still people are struggling with old vehicle disposal. At least they're trying to tackle Lahore's smog crisis—something we in Delhi understand all too well. 🤔
Bypassing the assembly to push through an ordinance? Bit authoritarian for my taste. Environmental goals are noble but the process matters. This will definitely strain Pakistan's struggling economy and small businesses that rely on older vehicles.
As someone from Lahore originally, I know our air quality is terrible. But this is typical—our governments do nothing for decades then panic and hurt the poor. Need proper infrastructure for scrapping, not just rules on paper. Also hope they don't corruption creeps in through those 'private facilities'. 🙏
This is a good move environmentally but economically tone-deaf. In India too, we saw how sudden bans on old vehicles hurt transport workers. Pakistan should have started with incentives for EVs and better public transport before punishing owners. Still, chai pe charcha worthy topic—interesting to see how this unfolds across the border. ☕
After 1965, no framework? That's shocking! At least they're finally waking up. But enforcement will be so hard—Lahore has thousands of old rickshaws and trucks. Hope they give proper compensation or transition period. India's policy gives 10-15 year timeline for personal vehicles. Pakistan should adopt similar phasing.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.