A National Assembly standing committee has decided to push the government to punish Pak Arab Fertilizer for dumping hazardous chemical waste in the open and into the irrigation channels.
According to reports a Fertilizer plant in Multan is violating the environmental protection standards regarding chemical waste disposal, causing grave concern among the people. At a meeting here on Monday, presided over by MNA Muhammad Asghar Shah, the National Assembly standing committee on privatisation decided to send a reference to the Ministry on Environment to ascertain these reports.
The issue came under discussion when some members pointed out that the company was not conforming to environmental standards as it was dumping chemical waste in the surrounding areas.
They also alleged that the company was releasing effluent discharged from the fertilizer plant into the irrigation channel which, they said, was a "heinous crime".
The meeting expressed deep concern over the issue and asked the Ministry of Privatisation to press the new management of the company to abide by environmental protection standards.
Privatisation Minister Zahid Hamid assured the committee that he would take up the issue with the company's management, and said that the government would not allow any privatised entity to deviate from the contractual obligations.
The committee was also critical of the reports suggesting that the new management of the company wanted to shift the fertilizer plant from Multan to any other site.
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