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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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FO admits that a boat capsized in Greece, killing four Pakistanis.

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The deaths of four Pakistanis in a boat capsizing event close to the southern Greek island of Goudos have been verified by the Foreign Office.

The incident happened on Sunday and at least five illegal immigrants drowned as a result. According to Greek Coast Guards, 39 people were rescued after the wooden boat overturned, but 40 more are still unaccounted for.

According to a Foreign Office spokeswoman, the four Pakistani nationals were among those killed in the catastrophe. In order to help the remaining Pakistanis and repatriate the corpses of the deceased, the Pakistani Embassy in Athens has been in close communication with Greek authorities, she said.

Additional information was given by Aamir Aftab Qureshi, Pakistan’s ambassador to Greece, during a press conference. According to him, there were 80 Pakistanis on board the doomed boat, and efforts are still being made to find the people who are still missing.

He added that the overcrowding on the boat was a factor in the capsizing. There are worries over the safety of the missing people because a sizable portion of them are children. He stated that five boats carrying Pakistani nationals were traveling illegally from Libya.

The public was also informed by Ambassador Qureshi that the government will pay for the return flight of the accident victims’ bodies.

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Every office will have a biometric system installed by Lesco.

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system in each office.

Details show that the LESCO had ordered the installation of biometric systems in all offices, including the divisions and the circle.

The installation of the biometric system at the headquarters resulted in an increase in attendance, as the LESCO CEO had stated.

The CEO of LESCO claimed that the biometric system has resolved the issues related to the fictitious overtime and off-days.

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Around 450 Pakistanis have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to a briefing from the Foreign Office.

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Approximately 450 Pakistanis, including 250 Zaireen, have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.

During her weekly briefing at the foreign office in Islamabad, she stated that Pakistan is pleased with the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on the Gaza Strip, which calls for an immediate ceasefire.

In addition, she expressed her satisfaction with the elimination of limits placed on UNRWA’s ability to carry out relief activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

It was stated by her that Pakistan is demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Palestine, an end to the genocide that is taking place in Gaza, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for those who are in urgent need, full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and its mandated humanitarian activities, and medical assistance for those who are in urgent need.

Moreover, she stated that Pakistan emphasises the need for the international community to hold Israel accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that it has committed in occupied lands.

The Israeli aggression against Syria, the illegitimate acquisition of Syrian territory, and the massive devastation of Syrian infrastructure as well as civilian and military sites are all topics that Pakistan is extremely worried about, according to the spokesperson for Pakistan.

According to her, this attack on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a serious violation of international law to the highest degree. By expressing our support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are also expressing our opposition to the Israeli government’s attempt to acquire territory through coercion.

The resolution 497 of the United Nations Security Council, which declares the annexation of the Golan Heights by Israel to be null and illegal and to have no international legal impact, was reaffirmed by her organisation.

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