Steps taken to deal with smog: CM

LAHORE: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that steps had been taken to deal with smog and legal action was being taken against factories causing air pollution.

The chief minister said this while talking to a delegation called on him at his office on Tuesday to discuss problems faced by the traders and industrialists. The delegation was led by former FPCCI president Anjum Nisar.

Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, secretaries of industries and environment departments, Wasa MD and others were also present. Other members of the delegation included FPCCI SVP Khawaja Shahzeb Akram, LCCI former president Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Nadeem Yasin, Ghulam Ahmad and Tanvir Sheikh.

The chief minister assured them of resolving their genuine issues and announced holding meetings with office-bearers of all the chambers of commerce and industries across the province. No unjustified action has been taken against any factory and the matter relating to resolving the issue of water tariff would also be considered on compassionate grounds, he added and asked the industries minister to take immediate steps for resolving fertilizer-related issues. The hoarding of fertilizer would not be tolerated as the government was taking every possible step to ensure the provision of fertilizer at fixed rates, he informed and added that consultation with stakeholders was also in progress to resolve the issues relating to the fertilizer. The chief minister emphasised that steps had been taken to deal with smog and legal action was being taken against factories causing air pollution.

Meanwhile, on the direction of Usman Buzdar, a letter has been sent to chief secretary for ensuring recitation of Darood-e-Ibrahimi before the national anthem and after the recitation of the Holy Quran at school assemblies. The chief minister said Darood Sharif has immense virtues. It is an honour for every Muslim to recite Darood Sharif for Rehmat-ul-lil-Alameen Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), he added.

Meanwhile, the chief minister inaugurated a tea shop, Punjab’s first literary museum and Adabi Baithak at Majlis-e-Taraqqi-e-Adab (Board for Advancement of Literature) and laid the foundation stone of the e-library block. He showed keen interest in items belonging to Allama Iqbal, poets and intellectuals at the Lahore Literary Museum while viewing a place for storytelling.