Cabinet allows overseas Pakistanis to import used vehicles

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has endorsed the Economic Coordination Committee’s (ECC) decision to allow overseas Pakistanis to import up to three-year-old used vehicles under two existing schemes.

According to an official statement issued after the ECC meeting, the Finance Division said the cabinet approved a summary submitted by the Ministry of Commerce, endorsing amendments to the vehicle import policy.

Under the revised framework, commercial import safety and environmental standards will apply to imported vehicles. In addition, the permissible import age has been extended from two years to three years, while imported vehicles will remain non-transferable for one year.

The Ministry of Commerce will forward the case to the Ministry of Law and Justice for vetting of the relevant Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) prior to its issuance.

Once the Law Ministry vets the SRO in line with the cabinet’s decision, it will be uploaded on the Ministry of Commerce’s website.

Earlier last month, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial said the government is considering reducing taxes on used mobile phones brought into Pakistan by overseas Pakistanis.

He made the remarks during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance, where taxation on imported and locally manufactured mobile phones was discussed.

According to the FBR chairman, the government is also exploring the possibility of lowering duties on low-value used mobile phones commonly brought in by expatriates. A report proposing reductions in mobile phone taxes is expected to be finalized by March 2026.

During the briefing, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (R) Hafeez ur Rehman shared key statistics on Pakistan’s mobile phone market, noting that only 6% of mobile phones are imported, while nearly 94% are locally manufactured.