Welcoming the passage of 'Services Act Amendment Bill' from the Senate, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar on Wednesday said that political consensus over national issue is a victory of democracy.

"The passing of the bill has given a positive message of unity and cohesion," the CM said, adding: "The government and opposition are on one page on important issues as national development lies in unity."

It is sanguine that Prime Minister Imran Khan has tackled this issue in the best of the manner by showing sagacity and farsightedness. National issues will be tackled with consensus in future as well, the CM said in a statement.

Moreover, the Punjab CM Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a meeting of the Punjab Environmental Protection Council (PEPC), which decided in principle to formulate 'Provincial Climate Change Policy.' The meeting also decided to prepare a comprehensive environment situation report.

The chief minister disclosed that an Environmental Endowment Fund will be set up to regularly monitor and determine the standard of air quality index and directed to constitute a committee in this regard. "The government wants people to breathe in the fresh air; the identification of environmental quality should be realistic," he said, adding: "Experts will also be consulted to deal with climate change issues as it is a sensitive matter and no leniency or negligence could be tolerated."

The CM regretted that criminal negligence was shown in the past by ignoring climate challenges and trees were mercilessly cut for erecting a chaotic jumble of concrete structures, bridges and buildings. "We are facing the consequences now in the shape of smog and environmental pollution," he regretted.

Usman Buzdar emphasized that the coming generations will have to be provided a neat and clean atmosphere and for that purposes, every challenge has to be met to settle the issues. He directed that meetings of the PEPC will be regularly held.

Environmental experts and heads of different departments presented their proposals. Provincial environment minister Muhammad Rizwan, secretaries of environment, industries, Planning & Development, finance, irrigation, health and forests departments, representatives of World Wild Fund, Punjab University, UET Lahore and others attended the meeting.