ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched emissions testing for vehicles entering the federal capital, Islamabad, in a bid to reduce air pollution and improve air quality, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry said on Friday.

The move follows the launch of the emission testing system in the country’s most populous Punjab province in May, the first initiative of its kind ever taken in the country.

Emissions testing for vehicles is a process that measures the pollutants released from a vehicle’s exhaust to ensure compliance with environmental standards. It evaluates the levels of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides.

“The greatest damage caused to the environment is through vehicle emissions,” Chaudhry said while speaking to the media.

“Such testing has never been conducted before in Islamabad, but it has been initiated now,” he continued, adding that every car would be checked according to international standards before being certified.

Chaudhry announced the government would first inspect official vehicles before expanding the initiative to private vehicles.

“No smoke emitting vehicle will be allowed to enter Islamabad,” he added. “If it enters, there will be a fine, cars will be impounded and it will be dealt according to law.”

Earlier this year in June, Pakistan unveiled its Electric Vehicle Policy 2025–2030, setting a target for 30 percent of all new vehicle sales to be electric by the end of the decade.

The policy, which covers cars, buses, motorcycles and rickshaws, aims to accelerate Pakistan’s transition to sustainable transport, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and curb climate-warming emissions.

Pakistan imports the majority of its energy, and its urban centers rank among the most polluted in the world, primarily due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions.

This severe air pollution poses a serious threat to public health, undermines economic productivity and diminishes the quality of life for millions of residents.