Anti-environment projects behind smog: Qadri

LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has alleged that the smog in Punjab is the disastrous result of corrupt and ill-planned policies of the rulers. 

“The smog is the logical result of corrupt, anti-environmental mega projects which the rulers are undertaking to fill their bank accounts, and if these corrupt rulers continued any further, then after human values, human life in the country will also be seriously threatened,” Qadri said in a telephonic address to the party leaders’ meeting on Sunday. He said toxins of incompetency and corruption have seriously polluted climate of green agricultural Pakistan, making it even hard to breath for humans and animals. Coal thermal projects are also cause of smog. The rulers constructed coal thermal plants needlessly to make heavy commission for the ruling family and their cronies. If the rulers were honest in solving energy crisis, they would have concentrated on eco-friendly hydro power projects, he said and added the PAT was the only party in the country which formed professional wing of experts and intellectual under the party constitution to play role in national development. He said during the last decade, professionals concerned and experts had been stressing on forestation and hydro power projects, but the corrupt economic terrorists and mentally paralysed rulers wasted national resources on coal, gas and other thermal projects to make heavy commissions. This corrupt mafia has not completed a single hydro power project in last four decades, he said and added Pakistan has the capacity to produce over one lakh megawatts of electricity through clean energy projects, but incompetency, corruption and inefficient bureaucracy are major hurdles.

“Water reservoirs and cheap energy projects were initiated by a dictator, but for our so-called elected rulers abusing dictators is the best service of democracy. Despite significance for agriculture and industry, no democratically elected ruler has so far paid attention to water reservoirs and hydel projects. In West environment is major political issue, political parties are sought to explain their vision and policies about environment whereas our political elite do not regard environment any issue, who have along with national resources, devoured even forests, trees and clean water,” the PAT leader said. He said Pakistanis must rise above the politics of petty street issues and discuss with political parties their manifesto, anti-pollution policies, otherwise corruption and smog will keep rotting Pakistan. He stressed the PAT’s professional wing to start working on comprehensive anti-pollution policy and in this context seek advice from other stakeholders.