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LHC judge orders govt to impose smog emergency in Lahore immediately

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1 year ago

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  • LHC judge blames incumbent govt for smog in Lahore. 
  • Asks govt not to de-seal factories emitting black smoke. 
  • Ask school, college students to inform authorities of such factories. 

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday blamed the incumbent government for the current situation in Lahore due to the smog and ordered the administration to impose a citywide emergency.

The orders were issued when the LHC took up pleas seeking the court’s intervention in the matter.

During today’s hearing, Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhwa and other officers appeared before the court.

The court directed the government not to de-seal factories that are responsible for black smoke and directed school and college students to inform the authorities of such factories. 

It also ordered the commissioner and other officers to visit schools and colleges to inform students about the decision regarding factories that emit black smoke.

“The government is responsible for the current situation of smog,” observed Justice Shahid Karim. While addressing the officers, the judge told them to look at the city’s situation and reminded them that they were the owners of the city and in a position to do something about it.

“Previously, the smog started to affect the city at the end of November and December, but now it has started in October,” observed Justice Karim. While ordering the imposition of emergency, he added that smog was not his personal problem but related to kids as well.

The judge then adjourned the hearing till November 3.

According to a report published in The News today, smog has turned the provincial metropolis into a “poisonous gas chamber” where citizens were facing serious health problems as the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 255.

Tuesday was the third consecutive day when Lahore was on top of the world’s most polluted cities.

Sources in the district administration claimed that on Tuesday, the VVIP movement was very high in the city as the caretaker PM along with the caretaker CM visited various ongoing development projects due to which, various traffic signals were turned to manual and traffic was stopped and resulted in extra-vehicular emissions on the city roads.

Sources in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that a number of furnaces in northern Lahore were operating at night and using sub-standard fuel such as rubber tyres, plastic and other materials while many other factories in different industrial estates of the city were also contributing to rising air pollution.

The sources said that a very half-hearted campaign was started against smoky vehicles and EPA’s claims of using PSCA cameras to take action against smoke-emitting vehicles was just a statement. 

An increase in fine particles (PM2.5) was the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in Lahore on Tuesday and several citizens interviewed by The News on roads claimed they were facing many health problems.

Health experts said that the size of particles was directly linked to their potential for causing health problems. 

Small particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter pose the greatest problems because they can go deep into the lungs and some may even get into bloodstream. ‘Exposure to such particles can affect both lungs and heart,’ said Dr Tariq Chishti, a general physician.

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FO admits that a boat capsized in Greece, killing four Pakistanis.

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1 week ago

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The deaths of four Pakistanis in a boat capsizing event close to the southern Greek island of Goudos have been verified by the Foreign Office.

The incident happened on Sunday and at least five illegal immigrants drowned as a result. According to Greek Coast Guards, 39 people were rescued after the wooden boat overturned, but 40 more are still unaccounted for.

According to a Foreign Office spokeswoman, the four Pakistani nationals were among those killed in the catastrophe. In order to help the remaining Pakistanis and repatriate the corpses of the deceased, the Pakistani Embassy in Athens has been in close communication with Greek authorities, she said.

Additional information was given by Aamir Aftab Qureshi, Pakistan’s ambassador to Greece, during a press conference. According to him, there were 80 Pakistanis on board the doomed boat, and efforts are still being made to find the people who are still missing.

He added that the overcrowding on the boat was a factor in the capsizing. There are worries over the safety of the missing people because a sizable portion of them are children. He stated that five boats carrying Pakistani nationals were traveling illegally from Libya.

The public was also informed by Ambassador Qureshi that the government will pay for the return flight of the accident victims’ bodies.

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Every office will have a biometric system installed by Lesco.

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2 weeks ago

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system in each office.

Details show that the LESCO had ordered the installation of biometric systems in all offices, including the divisions and the circle.

The installation of the biometric system at the headquarters resulted in an increase in attendance, as the LESCO CEO had stated.

The CEO of LESCO claimed that the biometric system has resolved the issues related to the fictitious overtime and off-days.

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Around 450 Pakistanis have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to a briefing from the Foreign Office.

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2 weeks ago

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Approximately 450 Pakistanis, including 250 Zaireen, have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.

During her weekly briefing at the foreign office in Islamabad, she stated that Pakistan is pleased with the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on the Gaza Strip, which calls for an immediate ceasefire.

In addition, she expressed her satisfaction with the elimination of limits placed on UNRWA’s ability to carry out relief activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

It was stated by her that Pakistan is demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Palestine, an end to the genocide that is taking place in Gaza, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for those who are in urgent need, full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and its mandated humanitarian activities, and medical assistance for those who are in urgent need.

Moreover, she stated that Pakistan emphasises the need for the international community to hold Israel accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that it has committed in occupied lands.

The Israeli aggression against Syria, the illegitimate acquisition of Syrian territory, and the massive devastation of Syrian infrastructure as well as civilian and military sites are all topics that Pakistan is extremely worried about, according to the spokesperson for Pakistan.

According to her, this attack on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a serious violation of international law to the highest degree. By expressing our support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are also expressing our opposition to the Israeli government’s attempt to acquire territory through coercion.

The resolution 497 of the United Nations Security Council, which declares the annexation of the Golan Heights by Israel to be null and illegal and to have no international legal impact, was reaffirmed by her organisation.

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