- Do nothing, blame the other
That the PTI government failed to take remedial measures prior to the onset of the smog season in Punjab indicates sheer incompetence. It was widely known that since 2016 smog had become a cyclical phenomenon in the province from November to January with some calling it the fifth season of Punjab. Thanks, the negligence on the part of the government a dangerous situation has emerged this time where a suffocating smog has broken past records of harmful effects on people’s health including breathing problems, burning eyes, lungs feeling heavy and coughing. Currently three major cities of the province are facing the brunt.
Early this month when Amnesty International raised an alarm over smog, Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul called upon the people not to heed the “unauthenticated sources” that are trying to stir uproar for their own vested interests. She maintained that India is responsible for the phenomenon and Pakistan will continue to raise the matter at international forums. In other words, smog being an international conspiracy, what could poor Climate Change Ministry do other than exposing the perpetrators? Under the circumstances there was no utility of preventive measures by the ministry headed by her. Minister for Science Fawad Ch also exposed the sinister designs of India and supported the stand taken by Minister Gul. Another minister called the smog a weapon of “unconventional war” unleashed by India against Pakistan.
The PTI ministers have not presumably read the 2018 Fog Commission Report prepared on the directives of the Lahore High Court. The report underlines domestic causes including vehicular emissions, industrial emissions and waste burning, giving them precedence over trans-boundary waste burning.
On Friday Amnesty International issued a second warning in a month asking for urgent action as every resident of Lahore is at risk due to the increasingly #poor air quality. Earlier a minister had blamed foreign firms were raising false alarm as they allegedly wanted to sell their air control equipment. Amnesty International is a human rights body with no business interests. This is yet another example of the government’s do nothing, blame others policy.
