Malik Saleem Offers to Relocate Electric Bikes and Buses Manufacturing to Pakistan with Government Commitment

Islamabad: Japan-based businessman Malik Saleem has expressed willingness to establish a full-scale manufacturing plant for electric bikes and electric buses in Pakistan, provided the government offers a clear commitment along with a buy-back guarantee.

In an exclusive conversation, Saleem said his company has been manufacturing electric vehicles, buses, cars, and heavy vehicles in China for the past decade, successfully exporting them to several Latin American countries, including Chile and Peru.

He stated that if the Government of Pakistan guarantees the initial purchase of 1,000 electric buses or provides a buy-back model commitment, he is ready to relocate his existing factory operations to Pakistan.

Saleem emphasized that Pakistan urgently needs a genuine manufacturing industry, particularly in the auto sector with a focus on parts production. He noted that most factories in Pakistan currently operate on an assembly-only model, which limits large-scale job creation and prevents meaningful technology transfer.

He pointed out that reliance on assembling imported components results in heavy foreign exchange outflows in the form of taxes and imports. Local manufacturing, he said, would significantly reduce the prices of vehicles and buses while creating thousands of employment opportunities.

Malik Saleem further stated that, together with his Chinese and Japanese partners, he has the capacity to invest up to $1 billion in Pakistan. However, he stressed that serious government support, consistent policy backing, and a firm buy-back commitment are essential for such an investment.

He added that electric transport presents not only an economic opportunity for Pakistan but also an environmental one, as it could help reduce the fuel import bill and control urban pollution.