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PM Kakar to take up Lahore smog issue with India at diplomatic level

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CM Naqvi says main reason for the smog in Lahore is stubble burning in Indian Punjab.

  • Lahore remains one of the world’s most polluted cities.
  • Citizens complain about irritation in throat, burning of eyes.
  • EPA not taking effective measures to tackle smog, say sources.

LAHORE: As Lahore remains one of the most polluted cities of the world, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar assured the Punjab government of taking up the issue of the smog caused by the burning of crops with India at the diplomatic level.

The prime minister, who chaired the meeting of Punjab cabinet on Monday, was told by interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi that the main reason for the spread of smog in Lahore was the burning of residues of crops in Indian Punjab.

Data collected from IQAir revealed that with an AQI of 279, Lahore remained on the top of the world most polluted cities the second consecutive day on Monday.

Lahore witnessed a hazy day and a number of citizens while talking to The News complained about irritation in throat, burning of eyes and difficulty in breathing.

They demanded the caretaker chief minister announce holidays in schools as this kind of atmosphere was very dangerous for the schoolchildren.

The citizens also appealed to the chief minister to ban all kind of ongoing on scheduled construction activities in the city for the next two months as these sites were becoming major source of PM2.5.

Sources in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claimed that use of substandard fuel such as plastic and rubber especially in cottage industry around Bund Road was contributing a lot to increasing the smog. They said the EPA was not taking effective measures to tackle this issue and just eye-washing measures were being taken.

Sources further added that vehicular pollution was also one of the major contributor of the smog but no strict action was being taken against smoke-emitting vehicles.

They claimed that the vehicles owned by public departments such as LWMC, Wasa, LDA, MCL, C&W lacked fitness certificates and were never checked by the traffic police and transport department.

Sources added that the machines used by the EPA to monitor the air quality were also not calibrated, which was due, so the data provided by them was not reliable.

Met officials said continental air was prevailing over most parts of country. They predicted that mainly dry weather was expected in most parts of country while cold and partly cloudy in upper parts. 

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According to Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, accusations made against Pakistan by Bushra Bibi, the spouse of the PTI founder, are vile and disgusting because Pakistan has historical relations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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The defense minister stated at a press conference in Islamabad that the Kingdom should not be involved in politics for selfish reasons because of our historical, religious, and economic ties with Saudi Arabia.

2.8 million Pakistanis work in Saudi Arabia and send millions of dollars in remittances, he added, adding that making unfounded accusations against the country will hurt Pakistan’s economy.

According to him, Saudi Arabia has always stood by Pakistan throughout its most trying moments, and Pakistanis have a deep affection and connection to the Kingdom.

There is a breach among PTI ranks and files, and Khawaja Asif stated that we have never witnessed such a low point in politics.

Given the gravity of the accusation, the Minister said, former Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa should respond right away.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should fight terrorism rather than target the city, he said, adding that the PTI’s demand for a demonstration on November 24 is the third strike on the federal capital.

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The Interior Ministry prohibits KP from using government machinery for PTI protests.

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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not allowed to use the resources of the Provincial Government for a party protest, according to the Interior Ministry.

On November 24, the PTI has scheduled a protest, and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur has declared his intention to participate.

The Federal Government arrested a number of Provincial Government officials who were ordered to participate in the violent protest in Islamabad by the PTI, and confiscated vehicles used by the KP Government against the state during the previous protest in October.

However, the Jinnah Supermarket Traders Union has petitioned the Islamabad High Court to halt the PTI demonstration in the capital and deem it unlawful.

In the petition, the head of the Traders Union has asked the court to rule that the PTI protest violates fundamental human rights by preventing companies from operating and removing the public’s ability to visit stores for necessities.

The petition asked the high court to protect the capital’s workers and PTI founder from unlawful protests.

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Planning Minister: The Nation Is Back on Track for Development

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Ahsan Iqbal, the Federal Minister for Planning and Development, asserts that the country’s youth are its future and that Pakistan has made great strides over the past 77 years, becoming the sixth nuclear state in the world today.

Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal stated that inconsistent policies have an impact on the development process.

According to Ahsan Iqbal, the CPEC got Pakistan on its path to growth, and the government is currently moving on with phase two of the project.

The country was in danger of defaulting, but the government has put it back on course, he said.

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