‘Smog threatens both health and economy’

Islamabad: Planning and development minister Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday voiced a serious concern about the causes and escalating effects of smog in the country, especially in the Punjab province, attributing it to human activities and calling for immediate action.

"Without a change in public behaviour, smog and air pollution will continue to pose a serious threat to people's health as well as the economy, especially the country's growth rate," the minister said during a meeting on the growing smog and air pollution in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Representatives of the World Bank, Punjab planning and development department, National Disaster Risk Management Fund, the climate change ministry, IFAD, planning commission, civil society, NDMA, and environmental protection agencies from all provinces and centre attended the meeting.

The federal minister emphasised the need for a unified national approach to combat the environmental challenge and noted that environmental protection was a key component of the government’s Five-E framework, which entailed various measures to address these issues.

He pointed out that while there was no shortage of knowledge, the real problem lied in the lack of its application. "All relevant institutions must take joint actions to tackle this problem effectively," he said.

The minister identified cross-border pollution, vehicle emissions, crop burning, and urban development as primary causes of smog and said the negative effects of the issue on people's health and daily life underlined the need for a public awareness campaign so that everyone became mindful of their environment and personal practices. He underscored the importance of a coordinated strategy among federal and provincial institutions, academia, and other stakeholders.

"There is an urgent need for developing a comprehensive plan of action to fight smog with an emphasis on ensuring effective implementation," he said. Mr Ahsan Iqbal also said that even pristine areas like Gilgit-Baltistan were being affected by air pollution, warning that the consequences would be severe if environmental pollution was not controlled. He said that failure to immediately act against pollution would lead to serious outcomes in the future.

The minister called upon all institutions to collaborate in addressing the issue and promote people's environmental awareness, saying collective efforts are essential to build a healthy and clean future.