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PPP Slams Government's Response to Punjab Smog Crisis Amid Health and Flight Disruptions
PPP questions Punjab government's response to severe smog crisis, impacting health and causing flight delays. With schools closed and visibility reduced, calls grow for effective, long-term solutions.
ND
by News Desk
2024-11-11
PPP Slams Government's Response to Punjab Smog Crisis Amid Health and Flight Disruptions

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has voiced strong criticism against its ally, the ruling PML-N, over what it calls ineffective handling of the severe smog crisis engulfing Punjab. With dangerous air quality levels choking cities like Lahore and Multan, PPP Punjab general secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza accused the government of failing to control pollution, much like it struggles with other political challenges.

 

Highlighting the plight of a three-year-old girl who recently approached the Lahore High Court for relief from smog-related health issues, Murtaza questioned the government’s commitment to addressing the public health hazard. “While a little girl reached the court, the chief minister reached Geneva,” he said, alluding to Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s recent foreign visit.

 

The PPP leader criticized the government’s reliance on short-term measures, such as closing schools and motorways, as inadequate for mitigating the worsening smog. He questioned why diplomatic efforts to address cross-border pollution—particularly crop residue burning in Indian Punjab—had not materialized. “What became of the diplomatic letter to the Indian Punjab chief minister suggesting collaborative action to reduce smog?” he asked, stressing the need for both immediate and long-term solutions to improve air quality in Punjab.

 

The PPP’s concerns come as dense smog continues to disrupt air travel. Several flights were delayed or diverted, including PIA’s flight PK280 from Doha, which had to be redirected to Islamabad due to reduced visibility at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport. A spokesperson for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) urged passengers to check flight statuses before heading to the airport, noting the operational difficulties caused by poor visibility and the airport’s limited capability to handle such conditions.

 

In response to the crisis, the Punjab government has implemented various measures, including a “green lockdown” targeting public spaces to reduce vehicular emissions. Parks, playgrounds, zoos, museums, and historical sites across Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Multan divisions have been closed to the public, while educational institutions up to the 12th grade remain shut until November 17. Additionally, smoke-emitting vehicles are being fined, and markets ordered to close by 8 p.m. to limit pollution from traffic.

 

However, Murtaza expressed doubt over the effectiveness of these moves, urging the government to prioritize substantial, long-term strategies instead. “Let the people breathe,” he warned, “or the masses will shorten the breath of the government.” PPP’s stance highlights increasing frustration among citizens and political figures alike over the government’s approach to the escalating smog crisis.

 
Tagged:

ppp

AirQuality

PunjabSmog

PublicHealthCrisis

FlightDelays

EnvironmentalPolicy
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