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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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Citizens can apply for a passport in any Pakistani city.

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By changing the rules governing passports, the government made the application procedure easier and eliminated the need for address-based issuance.

According to the recently released memoranda, the requirement that applicants apply for a passport exclusively from the address listed on their National Identity Card has been lifted, allowing individuals to apply from any place in Pakistan.

It is anticipated that this modification will significantly alleviate the delays and complexities that nationals previously experienced as a result of jurisdictional limits.

Nationally, regional passport offices have been informed of the revised regulations. With the new regulation, citizens will have more freedom and accessibility as they are no longer limited to applying within certain parameters.

According to the Director General of Passports, the adjustment was proposed in order to alleviate the challenges that the public was facing. “The citizens will now be eligible to apply for a passport from any city in Pakistan, streamlining the process and improving accessibility across the board” , said the top government official.

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US-Pakistan Discusses Democracy and Human Rights When Pakistani Ambassador Calls Congress

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Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, the ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, spoke with Congressmen Jim Mcgovern and Susan Wild over the phone recently.

The conversation centered on human rights and democratic values, as well as strengthening Pakistan-U.S. bilateral ties.

Throughout the call, the officials concurred that continuing contact is crucial to enhancing and growing Pakistan-U.S. ties.

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The economic outlook for Pakistan. Report: The Economy Will Continue Its Sustainable Recovery

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Stability in the external and fiscal sectors, along with large financial inflows, have helped Pakistan show a steady recovery in the first quarter of FY2024–25.

The October economic outlook from the Finance Ministry emphasizes encouraging developments, such as the 1.03 billion dollar first tranche from the IMF’s extended financial facility, which improves macroeconomic stability.

A 3.7 percent increase in total fertilizer production and a 115.9 percent increase in imports of agricultural gear are significant achievements.

In August 2024, large-scale manufacturing grew 4.7 percent month over month, even if it decreased by 0.2 percent in July and August of the same year.

September 2024 had a 44-month low of 6.9 percent consumer price index inflation, down from 31.4 percent the year before.

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