Pakistani carmakers meet only 18 of 200 global safety standards

• Committee members demand strict action against companies.
• Hafeezuddin links rising traffic accidents to poor vehicle safety.
• Chairman notes Pakistan cannot export vehicles due to low safety.
  

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani automakers comply with only 18 of 200 global safety standards, ignoring 182 entirely, despite vehicle prices being above international levels, officials in a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Industry and Production revealed.

The committee members expressed serious concerns over the production of unsafe vehicles and demanded immediate and strict action against companies that ignore global safety standards, The News reported. 

Chairman of the committee, Syed Hafeezuddin, said that major traffic accidents are taking place in Pakistan and it is the responsibility of vehicle manufacturing companies to implement safety standards in vehicles. 

“Due to the decline in safety standards and quality in vehicles, we are not even able to export vehicles, while in our neighborhood, India and China have become major exporters of vehicles,” he added.

The Secretary of Industries and Production informed the committee that the facility of two airbags in cars continues to be provided. The chairman of the committee said that the three foreign companies are not complying with rules. 

Committee member Muhammad Ali Sarfaraz said that instead of giving more time to the companies that have installed plants in Pakistan for thirty to forty years and are still not following safety standards, action should be taken against them.