What if the biggest question about Islamabad Police’s new electric vehicles is not how green they are, but whether the police have everything else they need to do their job?

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday handed over 50 electric vehicles to the Islamabad Police under the new Capital Patrol initiative, which is being hailed as a leap toward modern, green policing. The vehicles are expected to save an estimated Rs34 million in fuel costs each month and the investment is projected to be recovered through fuel savings in about 10.5 months, officials said.

The initiative also features a 200-officer patrol force, motorcycles and body cameras, with the government presenting it as a more modern and transparent model of policing.

But rather than universal applause, the announcement has sparked an entirely different conversation online.

One of the most pointed reactions came from PML-N leader Ch Fawad Hussain, who asked when police would move away from SUVs, adding the force needs “record not SUVs.” His comment points to a larger public concern: Will new cars really make policing any better if the basic institutional problems remain unaddressed?

Electric vehicles can certainly reduce fuel consumption and running costs. Pakistan’s capital has been already transitioning toward electric police cars, with an earlier deployment of 15 EVs for traffic police.

But technology alone will not lead to effective policing.

Citizens want faster response times, more thorough investigations, accurate crime stats, visible patrolling and accountability. A modern car is a handy thing—but it cannot replace modern police work.

If the new fleet does, in fact, improve public safety and save taxpayer dollars, the government should get credit. But the real test now is whether the streets of Islamabad will be safer or will the EVs be just another costly piece of equipment without institutional reform?

The message to the public is simple: give police better tools – but give them better systems too.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)