Claim: Lahore has made it compulsory for all new buildings to include charging stations for electric vehicles.
Fact: Lahore has only made it compulsory for new commercial and industrial buildings to include charging stations for electric vehicles to attain an environmental NOC.
On 29 December 2022, ProPakistani uploaded an image on Facebook claiming that authorities in Lahore have made it compulsory for new buildings to include charging stations for electric vehicles. In the caption, ProPakistani clarified this only applied to commercial and industrial buildings. The post did not include a source.
The image did not include any additional context or the source of the claim. Notable, the image features a residential building as an example.
The image was shared by other publishers on Facebook and Twitter without the clarification that ProPakistani included in the caption.
Fact or Fiction?
A Google search led to a news report from ProPakistani titled “Lahore Makes It Compulsory for New Buildings to Include EV Charging Points” which the image was based on. According to the report, Commissioner Aamir Jaan of Lahore has mandated the integration of electric vehicle charging stations in all new commercial and industrial buildings in an effort to reduce pollution and promote sustainable practices.
A report from Dawn News titled “Environment NOC linked with EV chargers for new buildings in Lahore” stated that Jaan presided over a meeting discussing the issuance of environmental no-objection certificates (NOCs) for new commercial and industrial structures.
Soch Fact Check also spoke to the Punjab Environment Protection Department based out of Lahore. Over a phone call, the operator confirmed that the requirement for electric vehicle chargers is only limited to the procurement of environment NOC for commercial buildings in Lahore.
It is clear from this notice on the official website of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that an Environment NOC is not required by every commercial building; it is conditionally given to those who may engage in some kind of hazardous waste management or import or export of toxic chemicals, or any industrial activity which may run the risk of endangering the environment.
The headlines of the reports are misleading, since many new buildings aren’t included in the policy. The image based on the report shared on social media is also misleading.
Virality
Soch Fact Check conducted a CrowdTangle analysis for the 3-day period since 29 December 2022 to 31 December 2022 using the following search terms:
- “Lahore” “compulsory” “charging”
We found two posts with over 350 views with misleading graphics claiming that Lahore has made it compulsory for all new buildings to include EV charging ports, here and here.
Conclusion: The headlines of the reports and the image shared on social media may be misleading as they suggest that the policy applies to all new buildings in Lahore, when in fact it only applies to commercial and industrial buildings.