Maryam calls for joint Indo-Pak effort to combat smog

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced plans to write to the Indian Punjab chief minister, proposing joint efforts to combat smog. The announcement came as she hosted a Diwali ceremony on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that special ID cards for minority communities would be issued, with their number set to increase as more families are included next year. She also announced the establishment of a Minority Virtual Police Station and development initiatives in minority community areas.

The Diwali celebration, held at 90-SQA, included traditional Diwali lamp-lighting and virtual fireworks. The chief minister distributed cheques of Rs15,000 each among 1,400 Hindu families.

During her address, she remarked, “If anyone commits injustices against minorities, I will stand with the victim. Minorities should feel entirely safe in Pakistan. We are all Pakistanis without discrimination, and Diwali symbolises a lamp of peace, harmony, and love.” She reiterated her commitment to celebrating diverse religious festivals together and supporting minority communities’ welfare.

Maryam Nawaz further directed police to ensure immediate security wherever there is a threat of mob violence, emphasizing that “no majority has the right to impose hardships on any minority member.”

Emphasizing the urgency of addressing environmental concerns, she said, “Smog is not a political issue but a human problem. We are actively working to eliminate smog, and there must be a matching response from Indian Punjab. Toxic smog does not recognise borders; without joint efforts, neither side can effectively counter it.”

She said that the police and administration are proactive in protecting minority rights, with a Minority Virtual Police Station planned, doubling of funds for minorities and improvements to cemeteries, neighbourhoods and places of worship. The event also featured diplomats from the US, UK, and other countries who joined the Diwali celebrations.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has decided to impose “Green Lockdown” in Lahore to save the city from smog. According to a notification as well as Minister for Environment Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb, who spoke on the floor of the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday, construction has been banned in 1 km radius of the Shimla Pahari. Eleven areas have been identified as “Hot Spots” (sensitive) that include the Empress Road leading to the Railway Headquarters from Shimla Pahari, Thandi Sarak, Gulistan Cinema (close to Abbot Road and Montgomery Road), Egerton Road and Kashmir Road. The Punjab government, while imposing a ban on construction work in the lockdown areas, has also imposed a ban on rickshaw pullers, barbeque hotels after 8 o’clock and wedding houses after 10 o’clock.

As many as 50% of employees associated with private and public sectors in the affected areas have been instructed to work from home. The notification stated that all kinds of construction activities, rickshaws and commercial generators had been banned in the respective areas. The government as well as private offices will make necessary arrangements to switch to work from home from November 4. Car parking in these areas will also be restricted as per guidelines issued from the Chief Traffic Officer.

Marriyum said smog was assuming an alarming shape and this was an issue related to human health which should not be politicized. “It is our collective responsibility to control smog. Special Schools will be shut down and if needed, primary schools will also be shut temporarily in the wake of the smog threat.” She said that for the first time, smog was going towards Multan. Farmers have been requested not to burn crops. She said the chief minister Punjab was also writing to the Delhi CM in this regard as this was an issue linked with human lives. An increase of 33 per cent in patients affected from smog has been seen in hospitals during the last three months.

The senior minister said the Green Cover of Lahore was 3.3 per cent, which should be 36 per cent. The government has made a green master plan which would be approved by the Punjab cabinet. In the 26th Amendment, the environment issue has been included. A parliamentary committee will also be set up over smog. Brick kilns have been converted to a new technology. Around 650 brick kilns have been demolished from where environment-related complaints were heard.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has inaugurated Pakistan’s first public sector cancer hospital, offering free treatment for level three and four cancer patients. She set a 12-month target to complete the first phase and announced plans for a public-sector bone marrow transplant center. The CM also outlined initiatives for specialised hospitals in Punjab for blood diseases, paediatrics, organ transplants and more.

During a briefing on the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research, she learnt that the 915-bed cancer hospital in Lahore will include paediatric oncology, an ICU, and an emergency ward. The facility will feature a waiting hall, 24 beds for patient attendants, and additional phases for a new 300-bed building and parking plaza.

Addressing the groundbreaking, she expressed her commitment to patient care, saying, “The Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital is a national project. Losing my mother to cancer, I understand the pain. We are here to help every Pakistani, regardless of background.”