Proton is expected to begin local assembly of cars in Pakistan in Q3 2021, according to a recent update posted by paultandotorg, a Malaysian Automotive News source. As per reports, Al-Haj Automotive, Proton’s Pakistani partner, is planning to construct a 25,000-unit-per-year assembly plant.According to the agreement between Al-Haj Automotive and Proton, CBU units will be sold first, followed by CKD units in late 2020 or early 2021. Proton Pakistan will be able to add more vehicles to the market as a result of the establishment of a dedicated factory. In Pakistan, cars like the Proton Iriz, Persona, and X50 have a sizable demand.
The company had initially planned to begin local operations by the end of 2020, but due to the hurdles created by the global pandemic, the operations got delayed, and now the operations will begin in Q3 2021. The initial investment for the project is reportedly $30 million. Reportedly, the new plant shall create 2000 direct employment opportunities and 20,000 indirect job opportunities.
As per the agreement between Al-Haj automotive and Proton, the company shall initially sell CBU units and CKD units shall go on sale by late 2020 or early 2021. However, the delays caused by COVID-19 led to the delays in the establishment of the plant, which means that the CKDs shall not be made available in mid-to-late 2021.
