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ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination has expressed strong concern over the country’s outdated vehicle emission standards and lack of enforcement, directing the Ministry of Climate Change to submit a comprehensive air quality improvement plan within four weeks.
Chaired by MNA Munaza Hassan, the body met at Parliament House on Wednesday to review emission testing mechanisms and their role in improving air quality.
During the briefing, officials from the chief commissioner’s office informed the panel that the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) lacks both the financial and technical capacity to effectively monitor and control vehicular emissions.
Experts invited to the session highlighted that targeted interventions could reduce air pollution by up to 30 per cent.
They proposed measures such as staggered school and office timings, upgrading road infrastructure, promoting catalytic converters for older vehicles, and mandating emission tests during vehicle transfers. They also suggested incentivising retrofitting and accelerating the transition to Euro-V compliant fuels.
The committee further urged the government to allocate greater funding for climate action and ensure that environmental priorities are reflected in the government’s foreign policy and international engagements.
Concluding the meeting, Munaza said, “We should at least try to make Islamabad a model city,” underscoring the need for stronger coordination among government agencies to address deteriorating air quality.
