ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Sunday called for the enforcement of stringent policy measures to mitigate heat-trapping carbon emissions from vehicles in order to tackle the issue of smog, Pakistani state media reported.
Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province experiences dense smog each year, with the provincial capital of Lahore ranking second among the world’s most polluted cities on Sunday, according to Swiss air monitor IQAir.
Late last year, the province closed down schools and offices, banned outdoor activities and shortened timings for restaurants, shops and markets in a bid to contain the crisis.
The dangerous smog is a byproduct of large numbers of vehicles, construction and industrial work as well as burning of crop residue at the start of the winter wheat-planting season.
“Smog has emerged as a serious environmental and public health concern,” Tarar said as reported by Radio Pakistan, stressing the need to ensure conformity with Euro-5 or higher-grade fuels to improve the air quality and mitigate heat-trapping carbon emissions.
The comments came at a meeting of a committee to implement the National Climate Change Policy, aimed at steering Pakistan toward climate resilience and low carbon development.
Officials informed the participants that efforts had already been ramped up to transition the South Asian country to renewable energy sources, with significant investments in solar, wind, and hydropower projects.
“The government’s plan to achieve a 30 percent share of renewables in the energy mix by 2030 is well on track and all-out efforts are being made to promote Electric Vehicles to reduce the environmental impact of transportation,” they were quoted as saying.
Pakistan is among countries deemed most vulnerable to extreme weather caused by climate change, despite contributing less than 1 percent to global carbon emissions, according to officials. 
In 2022, devastating floods, blamed on human-driven climate change, killed more than 1,700 Pakistanis, affected another 33 million and caused the country over $30 billion in economic losses.

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said that Pakistan plans to launch yuan-denominated Panda bonds in June to enhance its presence in Chinese capital markets, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
The development follows an upgrade in Pakistan’s sovereign rating by all three major credit agencies. The country aims to get into the “single-B” category that would allow it to return to global bond markets to raise funds.
Aurangzeb said the South Asian country intends to raise approximately $200 million from Chinese investors through the issuance of the Panda bonds, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“This step is part of a broader strategy to transition Pakistan’s economy toward export-driven growth, with a focus on achieving sustainability in the country’s balance of payments,” he was quoted as telling Hong Kong’s TVB news channel.
The South Asian country is navigating a challenging economic recovery path and has been buttressed by a $7 billion facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September. The government is optimistic it will meet the terms of the program.
Pakistan is being advised on the issuance of Panda bonds by the China International Capital Corporation, a partially state-owned financial services company, according to the finance minister. However, the latest figure is lower than the $300 million targeted by Pakistan last year.
Aurangzeb extended an invitation to Hong Kong to send delegations to explore trade and financial opportunities in Pakistan, according to the Radio Pakistan report.
“Hong Kong could serve as a strategic hub for joint ventures between Chinese and Pakistani companies,” he said.
To revive its $350 billion economy, Pakistan has been making efforts to position itself as a regional trade and transit hub by leveraging its strategic geopolitical position.
The South Asian country has witnessed a flurry of visits, investment talks and economic activity involving officials from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, China and Central Asian nations in recent months.