LAHORE: Speaking about the current weather situation, Environment Protection Department (EPD) Minister Zakia Shahnawaz stressed the importance of the South- Asian region working collectively to get rid of the menace of air pollution which results in smog.
She stated that air pollution was not just an issue for India or Pakistan but it was a regional problem and that the only proper forum to do that was through South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The minister further stated that he nature of this emergency is such that both countries need to work simultaneously for the solutions to end air pollution, if India is still struggling with the problem of smog regardless of all the efforts, Pakistan will still be affected by air pollution.
Zakia Shahnawaz added that the federal government can initiate contact across the border because Punjab government cannot do on its own. Since parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upper Sindh are also being enveloped in smog, the matter is no longer limited to one provincial government and should be on the state’s agenda.
