Islamabad: The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics hosted a one-day conference titled ‘Revitalizing Pakistan’s Automobile Industry: Moving towards Consumer Welfare, Global Integration, and Sustainable Mobility.

Representatives of automobile companies in Pakistan, automobile parts manufacturers, policymakers, and academicians participated in the conference, said a statement issued on Sunday.

The participants shared their experience and knowledge regarding the issues and the future outlook of the automobile industry in Pakistan.

The conference was attended by a large number of students from the local universities as well.

The discussion in the conference was focused on three sub-themes: localization obsession and supply chain constraints; policy, reforms, and industry development; and electrification and the future of mobility.

Extensive and in-depth analysis and views were shared on all the themes by the experts, while students also actively participated in the discussion sessions as well.

Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque, Vice Chancellor, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), said, “The primary agenda of this conference is to explore why Pakistan’s automobile industry is not progressing and to discuss strategies for its revitalization.”

“The aim of our institution is the economic prosperity of Pakistan, and this conference is a step towards achieving that by focusing on the automobile sector.”

“The key issues to address include the reasons behind the lack of exports from the automobile industry, the delayed introduction of hybrids and EVs, and the future of the industry in terms of research and development,” he added.

“Despite 50 to 70 years of protection, the sector has failed to export, which is a significant concern given the country’s economic crisis.”

He further added, “The discussion will focus on why the industry has not kept pace with global advancements, such as driverless cars and hybrid cars, and why there is a lack of local R&D.”

He said, “The objective is to have a constructive dialogue to develop policies and understand issues that will drive the development of Pakistan’s automobile industry.”

Dr. Nadeem concluded his remarks by reaffirming PIDE’s efforts towards always taking new steps forward, aiming to conduct research and stimulate debate on important topics, as the goal was to foster real, productive conversations that lead to actionable outcomes for the sector’s growth and integration into the global market.

Later, the PIDE team presented the findings of their ongoing research on the state of the automobile industry in Pakistan and the future outlook.

A second presentation focusing specifically on the potential of electric vehicles in Pakistan as well as the challenges in their adoption was also presented by the PIDE team at the conference.

The participants lauded the work done by PIDE and also the organization’s efforts to bring together all stakeholders for the development and promotion of a unified reform plan for the revitalization of the automobile industry in Pakistan.

Texas: Hurriyet Leader, Abdul Hamid Lone along with a delegation of Friends of Kashmir International met with US Member of House of Representatives from Texas, Terry Meza on Indian atrocities and human rights violations committed against innocent Kashmiris.

The Friends of Kashmir International delegation was led by Ghazala Habib including Lone and Social Leader, Ashraf Bashir, said a statement.

On the occasion, Terry Meza said the United States believes in the high values of human rights and condemns the violation of human rights in any region of the world.

Terry Meza was informed about Indian atrocities and serious human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindutva policies that turned the entire valley of IIOJK into a human prison.

The US member of the House of Representatives was told that the entire Hurriyet leadership was incarcerated in the worst and notorious prisons in India.

The delegation of Friends of Kashmir International also presented a dossier to Terry Meza and presented international guidelines regarding the issue of Kashmir and booklets regarding half-widows of Kashmir.

Terry Meza assured the delegation that she would soon introduce a resolution on the plight of Kashmir in the Texas House of Representatives.

On this occasion, the Chairperson of Friends of Kashmir International, Ghazala Habib presented Terri Meza with a traditional Kashmiri dress “Fern” and a Kashmiri Shawl.

Leeds: The Pakistan men's cricket team held a casual meet and greet event with the national women's cricketers at a hotel in Leeds, England.

During the event, men's white-ball captain Babar Azam, along with senior manager Wahab Riaz, Shaheen Afridi, and other players, extended their best wishes to the women's team for the remainder of their England tour.

Following this, the women's team will compete in a three-match ODI series against England as part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, set to take place from May 23 to 29 in Derby, Taunton, and Chelmsford.

The Pakistan women's team is scheduled to play the final T20I of the three-match series against England later today at Headingley, with England having already secured a 2-0 lead in the series.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan men's cricket team will begin their four-match T20I series against England at Headingley Cricket Ground on May 22. The men's team arrived in Leeds on Wednesday after securing a 2-1 series victory over Ireland.

After concluding the England series, the Pakistan men's team will travel to the United States to participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The 2009 champions will commence their campaign against co-host USA on June 4, followed by a match against arch-rivals India on June 9.

Playing XIs:

England Women: Maia Bouchier, Danielle Wyatt, Alice Capsey, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight (c), Amy Jones (wk), Danielle Gibson, Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Bell

Pakistan Women: Gull Feroza, Sidra Ameen, Sadaf Shamas, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nida Dar (c), Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Diana Baig, Waheeda Akhtar, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal