Islamabad (GNP): Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said a robust automotive industry generates value far beyond simply manufacturing vehicles, supporting employment, engineering expertise, technology transfer, localization, and a broad network of domestic suppliers.
He made these remarks while addressing the Pakistan International Auto Show Gala Dinner, organized by the Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM).
Gilani congratulated the evening’s award winners, describing the event as a celebration of achievement, entrepreneurship, and perseverance, and noting that their accomplishments reflect not just individual success but the broader capability, resilience, and innovative potential of Pakistan’s automotive and engineering sectors.
He pointed to the components, machinery, and engineering solutions on display as representing years of investment, technical expertise, and hard work by Pakistani entrepreneurs, engineers, technicians, and workers, noting that while industrialization is often discussed in abstract terms, here it takes tangible form — demanding precision, consistency, and sustained commitment, qualities he said deserved recognition.
The Senate Chairman noted that the companies present had weathered difficult periods, investing in localization and showing their confidence in Pakistan not through rhetoric but through tangible effort and capital investment.
He acknowledged that the sector continues to grapple with challenges including access to raw materials, financial pressures, shifting market conditions, and the need for greater policy consistency — issues he said warrant ongoing, constructive dialogue between industry, government, and Parliament. He added that the industry’s growth is closely tied to the overall strength of the country’s manufacturing economy.
As Senate Chairman, Gilani said Parliament has an important role to play in facilitating dialogue, understanding the concerns of productive sectors, and using its legislative and oversight functions to help create conditions favorable to sustainable economic activity.
He noted that Pakistan’s geographic position at the crossroads of Central Asia, the Gulf, and Africa gives industries that have mastered international standards good reason to look beyond domestic markets and pursue international opportunities with confidence.
Gilani also stressed the importance of investing in people, describing engineers, technicians, and graduates who choose to build careers in Pakistan as the sector’s true asset.
He called the Pakistan International Auto Show an inspiring showcase of what Pakistani enterprise can achieve through innovation, investment, and technical skill, expressing hope that the evening would spark greater ambition, stronger partnerships, and renewed confidence in the country’s industrial potential.
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PAAPAM Chairman Usman Aslam Malik and event organizer Syed Nabeel Hashmi also addressed the gathering, after which the Senate Chairman presented awards to the evening’s honorees.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
