June 4, 2026
Industry groups object to review panel for key economic policies
A government committee reviewing four key industrial policies has come under criticism for excluding industry stakeholders and the Engineering Development Board. PAAPAM says the auto parts sector had already spent a year helping finalise the proposed policy.
June 4, 2026
ISLAMABAD: A committee set up by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to examine policy proposals covering several major economic sectors does not include representatives of the relevant industries or the Engineering Development Board (EDB), according to details reported on its composition.
The panel, headed by Climate Change Minister Dr Musadiq Malik, has been assigned to review four policy frameworks put forward by the Ministry of Industries and Production. These are the Next Generation Energy Storage Policy, the Auto and Auto Parts Policy 2026-31, the Mobile and Electronic Devices Manufacturing Policy, and the Solar Cells Manufacturing Policy.
As reported, the committee includes ministers, advisers and secretaries from 11 ministries, along with representation from the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the National Tariff Commission (NTC) and the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). It also includes international consultants and representatives from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and the Lahore School of Economics.
However, the body has drawn criticism for not including the EDB or stakeholders from the industries directly affected by the policies under review. The Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) said it had concerns over the committee’s make-up and questioned why a ministry it described as unrelated had been asked to oversee what it called a highly technical industrial policy process.
In a statement, PAAPAM Chairman Usman Malik said the domestic auto parts industry had spent the past year in detailed consultations with the Ministry of Industries and the EDB to finalise the proposed five-year policy.
“We are shocked that an entirely unrelated minister has been given charge of revisiting a policy that was made with industry-wide consensus,” he deplored.
The reported objection comes as the government moves ahead with a review of policies intended to shape manufacturing and industrial development across sectors including automotive, electronics, energy storage and solar cell production.
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