Malik Amin Aslam Khan, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change had a meeting with the President Air Quality Asia Ms. Shazia Z. Rafi at Ministry of Climate Change Islamabad today. Malik Amin Aslam Khan apprised the President Air Quality Asia about deteriorating air quality situation in Pakistan and the steps being taken by the Government of Punjab. He also expressed his serious concerns over cross border pollution and shared that Pakistan has this year been constantly monitoring the situation but an independent government from Air Quality would also be helpful. The President of Air Quality Asia Ms. Shazia Z. Rafi briefed Malik Amin Aslam Khan that Air Quality Asia has launched a pilot project under the banner of Sustainable Development Goal SDG simultaneously in four countries of Asia namely India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Philippines for sustainable transport, renewable energy and clean air. She further stated that as smog and air pollution is a trans border/cross border issue and it should be handled in full coordination and cooperation with the bordering countries and we need people to people and parliamentarians interaction to raise the crop burning issue that causes a devastating smog. She further pointed towards the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nation Human Right Commission (UNHCR) Convention on the Long-Range Trans boundary Air Pollution intended to protect the human environment against air pollution and gradually reduce and prevent air pollution including long-range trans boundary air pollution. In order to make the WHO and UNHCR Convention on the Long-Range Trans boundary Air Pollution practicable Pakistan should actively participate and encourage that Convention. Moreover in line with the practice and protocols of implementing penalties on cross boarder pollution adopted and implemented by regional organization like Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the SAARC countries should follow suit. Ms Shazia Z. Rafi quoted the World Health Organization report on twenty most air polluted cities in the world and out of twenty polluted cities forty polluted cities are in India two in Pakistan and one in Bangladesh which is a devastating situation for the South Asian countries. ***** ?
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