LAHORE: Hearing a petition seeking implementation of smog policy by the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on Wednesday directed the Punjab government to prepare the policy within two days. The court was informed that the policy was yet to be approved by the chief minister in order to curb pollution and smog. Expressing displeasure, the chief justice said that a year had lapsed and the winter was round the corner, yet the Punjab government had failed to draft a smog policy. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Lahore President Barrister Walid Iqbal had moved the petition submitting that citizens, especially children, had been affected by thick smog during the winter season last year that had engulfed Lahore and other parts of the province for many days. The counsel for the petitioner said that the government had created a misconception that the smog transpired due to burning of agricultural waste in Indian Punjab. He submitted that the reason behind smog was the lack of enforcement of environmental laws and dysfunctional central laboratory in Lahore, which was due to the negligence of the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency. He said that the government had not taken any adequate awareness measure. He submitted that the fundamental rights of citizens were at stake and a similar situation was witnessed in London when several deaths occurred due to smog in 1952. He submitted that it was the Punjab government’s failure to control rampant industrialisation in urban areas, which was the main reason behind the prevailing weather conditions – especially dense smog – in Lahore. He said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had already ranked Lahore city among the top ten polluted cities of the world due to emissions of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide by the industries. He submitted that due to increasing urbanisation and expansion of the city, the increasing industrial activities and motor vehicular emissions had resulted in massive environmental pollution, affecting the right of life of citizens guaranteed under Article 9 of the constitution. He said that the dense smog had been engulfing the Lahore city in particular, reducing visibility and forcing the people to stay indoors. He said that the manmade smoke had been caused by pollution and other factors, which had made the lives of people miserable, as this smoke was highly toxic and caused serious respiratory problems among the citizens, who may find it difficult to breathe all of a sudden. He submitted that after lungs, this smog was also harmful to the eyes, and mostly the children were the victims. He said that the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency had failed to perform its statutory obligations and enforce pollution charge rules, while the federal government was flouting its international obligations under the Paris Agreement 2015. He said that even the EPA testing laboratory was not functioning. He requested the court to ask the provincial government and the Environmental Protection Agency whether the industrial activities taking place in the city were being scrutinised under the Pollution Charge Rules 2001 or the agency was performing its statutory obligations. He also requested the court to inquire from the authorities concerned as to what remedial measures had been taken to address the prevailing weather conditions arising from the toxic smog. Published in Daily Times, October 19th 2017.