LAHORE: Terming the smog as one of the biggest issues, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said on Monday that steps are being taken to tackle the challenge.
“Smog has become one of the biggest issues currently. When wind from India blows towards Pakistan, Lahore’s air becomes more polluted. We are aware that efforts are also being made on the Indian Punjab side,” Azma said, adding: “Tackling smog is not easy; China has been fighting it for 26 years.”
She said as per Monday’s data, Delhi ranks first for smog, while Lahore is second. Delhi’s air quality index is around 393, and Lahore’s is close to 280. “Primary schools in Punjab have been given holidays due to the smog. The chief minister of Punjab will soon write a letter to the CM of Indian Punjab,” Azma said.
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While addressing at a news conference, here on Monday, Azma said the KPK government doesn’t even have funds to pay salaries, they still dream of buying PIA. The Punjab government is set to present a surplus budget of 630 billion rupees in 2025. “It’s a joke that Maryam Nawaz is following Gandapur. Nawaz Sharif never said that the Punjab government was planning to purchase PIA. All Pakistanis want the national airline to improve, and if investors from Karachi are interested in investing in PIA, it’s a positive development,” she said. Azma said that KPK needs jail reforms more urgently, as prisoners can break out of jails there. When there was a forest fire in KPK, their so-called revolutionary fire brigade didn’t even have money to refuel their vehicles, she expressed these views during a press conference at DGPR.
Responding to a query, she said, “In 2025, Punjab is set to present a surplus budget of 630 billion rupees. Punjab has cleared all its wheat loans since 1952 and is now free from the burden of a 56% markup. The Punjab government has invested 200 billion rupees in treasury bills. If these 200 billion rupees were included in the budget, the news story would have ended right there. The PTI is using this news political point scoring.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024