A conference on tackling the problem of air pollution has begun at the Expo Center in Lahore as part of DawnMedia’s ‘Breathe Pakistan’ initiative.
During the first session, Punjab Chief Minister Marriyum Auranzgeb said her provincial government was addressing the issue of climate change through a multi-sectoral lens.
Air pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental and public health crises facing Pakistan, and Lahore in particular is no stranger to this phenomenon.
The conference is organized in collaboration with the United Nations and the Government of Punjab. Pakistan Business Council will be a knowledge partner, while Ipsos, Climate Forward Pakistan and Carbon Track will be research partners.
The conference will highlight viable solutions, foster high-level dialogue and drive collective action to achieve cleaner air in Pakistan. Sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including policy and governance frameworks, clean air financing, smog and industrial liability, judicial activism, public health impacts, national air quality standards, and regional cooperation on transboundary pollution.
Among the prominent speakers expected to speak at today’s debate are Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Punjab Chief Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, federal and provincial ministers, Supreme Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha Malik, and Lahore High Court Judge, Jawad Hassan.
Senior United Nations officials, global health experts, economists and corporate leaders will also weigh in on this pressing issue.
The initiative is also supported by major business stakeholders and several other public and private organisations, including English Biscuit Manufacturers, Bank of Punjab, Punjab Department of Environment Protection and Climate Change, OMODA & JAECOO-Nishat Group and NDMRF, among others, “reflecting a strong and growing alliance across sectors to address the urgent challenges posed by sharp rise in air pollution in Pakistan,” said DawnMedia.
Find out more about today’s conference agenda here.
10:45 – Musadik Malik speaks via video link
10:30 am – ‘Cross border deal’ can now be taken up with UN and WB after recent developments: Punjab minister
Marriyum Aurangzeb also noted the lack of data on air pollution and highlighted the phenomenon of cross-border pollution.
“The main seasonal contributor to the high AQI levels in Lahore and Multan… that easterly wind corridor from India plays a critical role and is a major contributor to the seasonal AQI levels. We had initiated a cross-border agreement but due to recent developments, we may take this forward with the UN or the World Bank.”
10:26 — ‘The Climate Change Vision 2025 tells the policy and action plan for the next 10 years’
Aurangzeb pointed out that Punjab’s Climate Change Vision 2025 details the policy and action plan for the next 10 years.
He highlighted that the Punjab government introduced fitness certificates for vehicles for the “first time”.
“We are using secure urban cameras to identify smoke coming from cars. We have a Clean Air Program in Punjab, which also has a policy of buyback of old vehicles, two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
‘[…] For the first time we have mobile fuel testing laboratories. EPA Punjab has started fuel testing to test petrol at petrol stations in Punjab. In the last eight months, 1,100 electric buses have arrived in Punjab.”
10:21 – Aurangzeb lists measures taken by Punjab government to combat smog
Aurangzeb emphasized that Punjab now has a state-of-the-art environmental force. Listing out the measures taken by the provincial government, he said that a subsidy program was started in which the government paid 80 per cent and the Lahore Division now had 5,000 superseeders.
Stubble burning areas were mapped, investment was made in the mechanization of agriculture and drone monitoring of industrial units was carried out. Around 11,000 brick kilns across Punjab were also mapped and those without zigzag technology were sealed.
10:17 — Punjab minister details CM Maryan’s smog mitigation plan
The Punjab Chief Minister recalled the smog mitigation plan launched by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
“When I talk about interventions in Punjab, we have completed the entire legal framework. Now we are creating predictable models using AI to forecast AQI levels,” Aurangzeb highlighted.
“Localization of smog mitigation was critical to the intervention, so we adopted a multi-sectoral perspective to mitigate smog,” he said, highlighting the smog weapons imported two months ago and deployed in Lahore.
“For predictable forecasting, we have 41 air monitors across Punjab and we will have 100 across Punjab by 2026.”
10:12 am – Marriyum Aurangzeb says these types of initiatives are key to addressing climate change issues
Beginning her speech, Punjab Chief Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb highlighted the presence of “many experts, journalists, policymakers and civil society,” adding that it reflected shared responsibility towards climate resilience and adaptation.
Thanking DawnMedia for taking the initiative, the Punjab minister said she was “a little skeptical” when she participated in the February conference. “I didn’t think it would be a sustainable initiative. So my sincere congratulations to Naz, you and the Dawn group for sustaining this initiative because that is the key to issues like climate change.”
“I want other media groups to be a part of this initiative. I will present a case study of our Prime Minister. Lahore, a heritage point of Pakistan, [and] the heart of Pakistan, faces seasonal smog. This is a phenomenon that lasts a year. The AQI levels of Lahore and other regions of Punjab were not satisfactory, so we started working on smog mitigation targets,” Aurangzeb highlighted.
He said his government was “shocked that we were talking about this in March” when it called a meeting, as the air quality problem is a year-long phenomenon. “We start with a multi-sector lens for climate change.”
10:07 am – PHPL CEO Nazafreen emphasizes commitment to cleaner skies
Inaugurating the discussion, Nazafreen Saigol Lakhani, CEO, Pakistan Herald Publications Private Limited (PHPL), said, “On behalf of DawnMedia, it is my honor and responsibility to welcome you all to Breathe Pakistan’s The Air We Breathe, a critical gathering focused on one of the most pressing challenges – air pollution.”
Recalling the launch of the initiative, he said, “Our objective was to start a national dialogue on climate change. At the first conference, experts came together to publish a charter for a climate resilient Pakistan.
“Today, The Air We Breathe builds on that momentum. As we enter another smog season, this conference focuses on tangible practical measures to address air pollution,” Lakhani added.
He further said: “We are helping to weave a living web of collaboration to ensure shared commitments… I hope that today’s discussions inspire collective action and send a strong message that the health of the people and the future of Pakistan are not political points but our priorities.
“Let us commit to cleaner skies and a healthier environment for generations to come.”
9:57 am – Conference begins
The conference began with the playing of the national anthem, followed by the recitation of the Holy Quran.
Punjab Chief Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and UN Pakistan Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator Mohamed Yahya are seated ready for the first session.
9:45 am: Participants talk to each other before the session.
9:35 am — Guests sit inside the venue.
The guests are seated inside the Exhibition Center when the conference is about to begin.
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More to follow
