NA Committee Orders Ministry To Ready Air Quality Improvement Plan In a Month

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Climate Change has expressed concern over weak emission control measures and directed the Ministry of Climate Change to prepare a comprehensive air quality improvement plan within four weeks. The meeting, chaired by MNA Munaza Hassan, took place at the Parliament House on Wednesday. Members stressed that climate policy must become a core part of Pakistan’s foreign agenda. They also called for greater budget allocations for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination. Officials from the ministry and the Islamabad Capital Territory administration gave a joint briefing on vehicle emission standards and their impact on urban air pollution. The Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad, representing the Chief Commissioner’s Office, told the committee that the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) lacks the financial and technical capacity to monitor air quality effectively. It was disclosed that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had financed the purchase of five new emission-testing units, while two more were borrowed from the Punjab EPA to support testing in Islamabad. The committee noted with concern that Pakistan’s vehicle emission limits remain stuck at Euro-II standards, which are far behind the Euro-V and Euro-VI benchmarks used internationally. Members agreed that upgrading emission standards and enforcing stricter compliance were vital to improving air quality, particularly in major cities such as Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad. The committee directed the ministry to submit a detailed roadmap for emission reduction, air quality monitoring, and institutional strengthening within four weeks