Maryam Nawaz, the Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, has proposed the idea of “climate diplomacy” with India to tackle the problem of smog affecting both countries.
The regions of Punjab in Pakistan and Punjab in northwest India face severe air pollution during the smog season from October to February each year. The burning of crop residue by farmers is a major contributor to this issue.
Maryam emphasized the need for joint efforts between Indian and Pakistani Punjab to combat smog. She highlighted the impact of stubble burning in Indian Punjab on the air quality in Pakistan and called for diplomatic collaboration to address this shared concern.
She stressed the importance of raising awareness about the health hazards of smog among the public, especially children. Maryam emphasized that eliminating smog requires collective action and cannot be achieved by individual efforts alone.
Last year, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had also expressed the intention of addressing the stubble burning issue with Indian Punjab through diplomatic channels.
The collaboration and dialogue between India and Pakistan on smog management could pave the way for environmental cooperation and sustainable solutions to combat air pollution in the region.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)