LAHORE: Air pollution is a long-standing problem in Pakistan, but every October and November contaminates in the air in Punjab province shoot up as farmers burn rice stalks left behind after harvesting to clear their fields to plant wheat.
During these cooler months, the provincial capital Lahore, which is surrounded by rice-growing districts, is covered with thick smog.
“It is a health emergency – the air quality monitors in Lahore routinely show hazardous levels in November,” said Farah Rashid, a climate and energy program coordinator for green group WWF-Pakistan.
Now the Punjab government hopes to tackle the problem by providing 500 rice farmers around Lahore with a set of machines that together eliminate the need to burn crop stubble.
The machines include a shredder that breaks down rice stubble and mulches it into the ground and a seed drill — called the Happy Seeder — that follows to sow wheat through the mulch.
“It’s a useful technology,” said farmer Aaamer Hayat Bhandara, who has used both machines at a friend’s large farm, and has pushed the government to subsidise them.
“These machines used together could really make life much easier for us farmers,” said Bhandara, from Pakpattan in Punjab province.
Malik Amin Aslam, climate change adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan, called air pollution a “silent killer” and said Lahore’s smog had increased in intensity and frequency over the last five years.
He explained that rice farmers traditionally use combine harvesters to cut their rice in October, leaving behind about four inches of stubble.
With less than two weeks before they have to ready their fields to sow wheat, burning is the fastest way to clear the land, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
In Pakistan, rice is grown on an area of about 2 million hectares (5 million acres), mainly in the Punjab and Sindh provinces. Many of the fields are cleared by burning every year.
In October and November, Lahore’s Air Quality Index level can jump to over 300, a number that the US Environmental Protection Agency says corresponds to a “health warning of emergency conditions.”
CUTTING EMISSIONS
Farmers say the new farm equipment can help combat smog, but note that crop burning produces only a small share of the province’s pollution.
“The stubble is burned only for a few weeks in the winter. It is a fact that the problem becomes worse during this short period,” Bhandara said.
“But farmers are not the only reason for this pollution,” he added.
A 2018 report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the underlying causes of smog in Punjab noted that agriculture — mainly rice residue burning — accounts for 20% of total air pollutant emissions.
That puts it behind industry, which produces a quarter of the air pollution in the province, and transport, which contributes more than 40%.
Tackling air pollution — and leaving stubble on the soil as mulch, rather than burning it — also has the benefit of reducing carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
In India, where farmers have been using the rice stubble shredder and Happy Seeder for the past few years, a group of scientists published a report last year stating the technology could cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 78%.
Ejaz Ahmad, an environmental expert with the Institute of Urbanism in Islamabad, said any efforts to curb air pollution will benefit Pakistanis.
“The Happy Seeder seems like a useful machine,” he said.
CHOSEN BY LOTTERY
In Mandi Bahauddin district, where famed Basmati rice is grown, Muhammad Afzal, an agriculture officer at Punjab’s Government Agriculture Seed Farm, has been experimenting with the Happy Seeder for the past two years.
“Stubble management is a serious issue for farmers,” said Afzal, who helps farmers adopt new farming techniques.
Pakistan has penalties for rice stubble burning, including fines of up to 20,000 Pakistani rupees ($125) per acre — but most farmers have little other choice and simply continue the practice and pay the penalty when they are charged.
But a growing number are looking for alternative solutions, Afzal said.
The total cost for the stubble shredder and Happy Seeder is about 637,500 rupees ($4,000), and the government this year is paying about 80% of the price for 500 farmers, he noted.
“For those who can’t afford it, bigger farmers are willing to rent out the machines. In the future, more service providers will come up to rent them out,” Afzal said.
One drawback to the machines, he noted, is the need to mount them on the back of a tractor — and not just any tractor will do.
“It requires a large, 85-horsepower tractor,” he noted, something most rice farmers in Pakistan do not have.
Bhandara, the farmer in Pakpattan, said the subsidised machines also are only available in certain districts around Lahore, in the so-called smog “red zone.”
“The subsidised machines should be made available to rice farmers in South Punjab and Sindh as well, otherwise they are too expensive for most farmers,” he said.
Despite the limitations, the Happy Seeder has proven so popular that the government has had 10 applicants for each of its 500 machines, according to Aslam, the climate change adviser.
He said authorities are using a lottery system to decide who gets the subsidised equipment.
The government has plans to expand the Happy Seeder program next year and cover the whole of the Punjab rice belt by 2023, Aslam noted.
In the meantime, he added, it is already working on a technology upgrade.
“The agriculture extension department has developed a prototype to combine the two shredder (and) seeder machines into one ‘Pak Seeder’, which will be even more effective and efficient” — plus 30% cheaper, he said. ($1 = 159.3100 Pakistani rupees)
Pakistan looks to new tech to curb crop burning and cut smog
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Pakistan looks to new tech to curb crop burning and cut smog
- Punjab government is providing 500 rice farmers around Lahore with a set of machines that together eliminate the need to burn crop stubble
- Among underlying causes of smog in Punjab, agriculture — mainly rice residue burning — accounts for 20% of total air pollutant emissions, UN says
Pakistan central bank expected to cut key interest rate— survey
- Topline Securities' poll says 69% expect rate cut of at least 50bps while 31% believe central bank will observe status quo
- Falling oil prices, falling dollar index and higher remittances also make a strong case for a rate cut, says Topline Securities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s central bank is expected to slash the policy rate in its upcoming Monetary Policy Meeting (MPC), a leading brokerage firm said on Wednesday, saying decreasing global oil prices and higher remittances make a strong case for a cut.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) kept the interest rate unchanged at 12 percent in its last MPC meeting in March. The central bank put a hold on slashing the interest rate after it made a series of cuts totaling 1,000 basis points to revive the economy from a record high of 22 percent in June 2024.
The SBP is scheduled to hold its MPC committee meeting on May 5, Topline Securities said.
“In a Poll conducted by Topline Securities, 69 percent of the market participants expect a rate cut of at least 50bps, while 31 percent believe that the central bank will observe the status quo,” Topline Securities said in a report.
“The ratio of participants observing status quo has come down from 38 percent in previous poll to current 31 percent.”
The report said out of this 69 percent, 37 percent expect a rate cut of 50bps while 30 percent expect a rate cut of 100bps. Only 2 percent expect a rate cut of 150bps.
Topline Securities said that the SBP has further room to cut around 200bps till December as the FY26 inflation can average between 6-7 percent, translating into a real rate of 500-600bps.
“Furthermore, falling oil prices, falling dollar index and higher remittances also make a strong case for a rate cut,” it added. “However, the sustainability in prices/index of the former two (oil and dollar) is yet to be seen.”
Topline Securities said that despite its view, it believes the central bank will observe the status quo in the upcoming MPC meeting due to various reasons.
It said the expected foreign inflows for the second half of FY25 have not materialized yet and are expected to be received once the first review of the International Monetary Fund is approved by the Board.
Furthermore, the IMF has also mentioned in its press release that Pakistan remains committed to maintaining a sufficiently tight monetary policy to keep inflation low.
It said another reason why the central bank will maintain the same rate is because the US tariff risks still loom and “we expect the central bank to maintain status quo till any clarity on this global development.”
Inflation in Pakistan soared to around 40 percent in May 2023, driven by currency devaluation and subsidy removals for IMF approvals. But inflation dropped to a near-decade low of 1.5 percent in February, providing room for the central bank to boost growth.
Economists also warn of the risk of the government taking advantage of lower interest rates to increase borrowing for an expansionary budget. That would potentially destabilize the progress made under the IMF program and crowd out the private sector.
With additional input from Reuters
Residents struggle to cope as heatwave grips southern Pakistan
- Temperature in southern port city of Karachi surged to 41 degrees Celsius this week
- Pakistan Meteorological Department says mercury will start to decline from Thursday
KARACHI: Karachi residents continued to suffer the sweltering heat on Wednesday, with doctors and emergency responders advising citizens to exercise caution by staying hydrated and avoid venturing out unnecessarily.
An intense heatwave gripped Pakistan’s southern Sindh province this week, particularly its commercial capital of Karachi. The temperature in Karachi soared to 41 degrees Celsius on Monday while it declined to 39 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and 38.6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
Pakistan ranks among the top ten nations most vulnerable to climate change, grappling with increasingly frequent extreme weather events— from deadly heatwaves to devastating floods. The 2015 heatwave claimed over 2,000 lives in Karachi alone, and the 2022 floods left more than 1,700 dead and over 33 million displaced nationwide.
“I’ve already drunk water from three or four places, but still the heat is so overwhelming that it’s hard to make sense of things,” Ejaz Ahmed, a rickshaw driver, told Arab News while stopping at a roadside stall offering water.
“In Karachi, the pollution is very high— there’s smoke, there’s pollution.”
Traffic constable Nadir Ali has to perform his duties while the harsh rays of the sun beat down on Karachi. Ali said the unbearable heat makes it difficult for him to perform his job.
“We are standing here at Kharadar Chowk on the road and the heat is intense,” Ali told Arab News. “The heat is very strong and we are covering our heads while carrying out our duties.”
However, according to Meteorologist Anjum Zaigham, there is some relief in sight for Karachi residents as the temperature is expected to decline slightly starting Thursday.
“Starting tomorrow, we expect a slight decrease— temperatures should hover between 36 and 38 degrees,” he told Arab News.
“Sea breezes will continue which will lead to higher humidity levels by evening. As a result, the perceived heat will feel two to three degrees higher than the actual temperature,” Zaigham added.
Experts say rising temperatures are linked to climate change, putting vulnerable populations at risk. Muhammad Amin, who oversees operations at a heatwave camp set up by the Edhi Foundation, said the organization has instructed its drivers to carry cold drinking water and keep damp cloth with them to cover their heads with.
“It’s extremely hot in Karachi. In response, this small setup has been arranged: if people troubled by the heat come here, water is poured over their heads, and they are advised to keep a cloth on their heads afterward,” Amin said.
“So far, there have been no reports of deaths caused by the heat,” Amin said, crediting growing public awareness for it.
“Awareness has increased significantly— people now have more information about how to deal with the heat.”
Doctors, meanwhile, urge citizens to exercise caution amid the heatwave.
“Do not go outside unnecessarily, especially between 10 am to 12 or 1 pm,” Dr. Akash Kumar, a doctor at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), which is Sindh’s largest health facility, said.
“If your work involves being out in the heat, try to wear a cap. If you cannot wear a cap, then at least try to stay out of direct sunlight,” he added.
He urged people to drink plenty of water and wear light and loose clothing.
“Please try to avoid going outside unnecessarily during these days when the risk of heat stroke is high,” he said.
‘Build bridges with Pakistan and beyond’: British Council unveils evolution of 100 English phrases
- To mark World English Day, British Council has unveiled Phrase-ology, new research project exploring the journey of English expressions
- From long-established idioms like “breaking the ice” to new-gen slang such as “ate and left no crumbs,” project shows how English has evolved
ISLAMABAD: To mark World English Day, the British Council has unveiled Phrase-ology, a major new research project exploring the fascinating journey of English expressions, from ancient origins to modern slang shaped by global cultures and digital life, hoping the project will “build bridges within Pakistan and around the world.”
Led by Dr. Barbara McGillivray, an expert in computational linguistics and NLP specialist Iacopo Ghinassi, the study analyzed millions of online texts to track the emergence, evolution, and popularity of phrases. From long-established idioms like “breaking the ice” to new-gen slang such as “ate and left no crumbs,” meaning to do something flawlessly, the research shows how English continues to evolve and adapt.
“As we trace the journey of English through time and culture, we’re also recognizing its power to open doors and build bridges within Pakistan and around the world,” James Hampson, Country Director, British Council Pakistan, said in a statement.
Mark Walker, Director of English & Exams at the British Council, said the new research project not just looked at the past but also the future of English:
“Whether for work, study, travel, relationships, or lifelong learning, as the global lingua franca, English is one of the key ways that people connect and engage across cultures.”
From Ancient Greece to Gen Z: A Language in Motion
Phrase-ology reveals that while time-honored phrases like “kill two birds with one stone” are still common, others have been reinvented or emerged in recent decades. For example, “spill the beans” dates to the early 1900s, but its modern cousin “spill the tea,” popularized within African American and other communities, surged on social media from 2017 onwards.
Even expressions like “bucket list,” now widely known, barely existed in popular usage before the 2007 film of the same name.
Meanwhile, phrases like “let them cook” and “main character energy” highlight how social media continues to generate and amplify new linguistic trends.
Language Across Generations
The study also highlights generational differences and overlaps.
While older phrases like “better late than never” remain widely used, Gen Z has embraced terms such as “glow up”, “no cap”, and “vibe check.” Yet, some expressions like “keep it real,” first heard in the 1960s, remain relevant across all age groups.
A Global Language with Global Roots
English expressions often have unexpected international origins.
“Long time no see” may derive from Chinese Pidgin English or early 20th-century American Westerns. “Moment of truth” comes from the Spanish bullfighting term “hora de la verdad,” while “chin chin” – now a toast – stems from the Chinese word “qǐng,” meaning “please.”
The study even draws linguistic parallels, such as Nigeria’s “to yarn dust” – similar in meaning to “talking rubbish.”
A Living Language, Categorized
The British Council has compiled a list of 100 phrases that reflect the richness of English, organized into eight thematic categories:
Global English – borrowed from other languages (e.g. let the genie out of the bottle)
Classic Evergreen – longstanding idioms (e.g. raining cats and dogs)
Generational – tied to specific eras (e.g. instant karma)
Pop Culture – driven by media and entertainment (e.g. let them cook)
Sports – with athletic origins (e.g. straight off the bat)
Gen Z – contemporary slang (e.g. no cap)
Language of Belief – rooted in religion (e.g. turn the other cheek)
Shakespeare – phrases from or inspired by his works (e.g. wearing one’s heart on one’s sleeve)
Pakistan ‘concerned’ over deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, Delhi vows ‘loud and clear’ response
- Twenty-six people were killed and 17 were injured when suspected militants opened fire at tourists in Jammu and Kashmir territory
- Such attacks have historically strained ties between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed rivals with a long-standing dispute over Kashmir
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Wednesday it was “concerned” after 26 people were gunned down at a tourist site in Indian-administered Kashmir in the region’s deadliest attack on non-combatants in decades, with New Delhi vowing a “loud and clear” response.
The shooting occurred Tuesday afternoon in Pahalgam, a popular resort town in the Anantnag district, where armed men emerged from forest cover and opened fire on crowds of mostly domestic tourists. A little-known militant group, the “Kashmir Resistance,” claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message, saying more than 85,000 “outsiders” had been settled in the region after arriving as tourists, vowing violence against such settlers.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan since 1947, which they both claim fully but rule in part, and has been plagued by years of insurgent violence that New Delhi says is supported by Islamabad. Pakistan denies the accusations, saying it only provides diplomatic support to Kashmiris in their struggle for self-determination.
Such attacks have historically strained ties between India and Pakistan. In 2019, a suicide bombing in Pulwama killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel and triggered cross-border air strikes, pushing the neighbors to the brink of war.
“We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives in an attack in Anantnag district,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement. “We extend our condolences to the near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short a state visit to Saudi Arabia after the attack, called it an “heinous act” and pledged justice against the perpetrators.
“Those responsible and behind such an act will very soon hear our response, loud and clear,” Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said in a speech in New Delhi on Wednesday.
“We won’t just reach those people who carried out the attack. We will also reach out to those who planned this from behind the scenes on our land,” he said in what was widely seen as a veiled reference to Pakistan.
“India’s government will take every step that may be necessary and appropriate,” he added.
On Wednesday, India’s army also reported killing two gunmen in a separate incident near the Line of Control, the de facto border separating the Pakistani and Indian sides of Kashmir, in Baramulla district, describing it as a foiled infiltration attempt.
A violent separatist insurgency has simmered in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir since the late 1980s, although militant violence had declined in recent years.
PARTITION AND ACCESSION
After partition of the subcontinent in 1947, Kashmir was expected to go to Pakistan, as other Muslim majority regions did. Its Hindu ruler wanted to stay independent but, faced with an invasion by Muslim tribesmen from Pakistan, acceded to India in October 1947 in return for help against the invaders.
GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHICS
Kashmir ended up divided among Hindu-majority India, which governs the Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh; Muslim-majority Pakistan, which controls Azad Kashmir (“Free Kashmir“) and the Northern Areas, and China, which holds Aksai Chin.
Indian-administered Kashmir has a population of around 7 million, of whom nearly 70 percent are Muslim.
ARTICLE 370
This provision of the Indian constitution which provided for partial autonomy for Jammu & Kashmir was drafted in 1947 by the then prime minister of the state, Sheikh Abdullah, and accepted by India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Although intended as temporary, it was included in India’s Constitution in 1949 by the constituent assembly.
REVOKING OF SPECIAL STATUS
In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government revoked Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status in a move it said would better integrate the region with the rest of the country. The state was reorganized into two federally administered union territories- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Pakistan strongly objected, downgrading diplomatic ties with India and cutting off trade.
WARS AND MILITARY STANDOFFS
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence, two of them over Kashmir, in 1947 and 1965. A third in 1971 led to the creation of Bangladesh. In 1999, the they clashed again in the Kargil region in what was described as an undeclared war. A UN-brokered ceasefire line, the Line of Control, now divides the region.
THE INSURGENCY
Many Muslims in Indian Kashmir have long resented what they see as heavy-handed rule by India. In 1989, an insurgency by Muslim separatists began. India poured troops into the region and tens of thousands of people have been killed.
India accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants, which Islamabad denies, saying it offers only moral and diplomatic support.
RECENT YEARS
Modi says his 2019 decision brought normalcy to Kashmir after decades of bloodshed. Violence has tapered off in recent years, according to Indian officials, with fewer large-scale attacks and rising tourist arrivals. Targeted killings of civilians and security forces, however, continued to be reported.
2024 ELECTIONS
In 2024, Jammu and Kashmir held its first local elections since the 2019 revocation of autonomy. Several newly elected lawmakers urged a partial restoration of Article 370. Key regional parties had boycotted or criticized the polls, saying the winners would not get any real political power.
With inputs from Reuters
GAVI, Unicef supply refrigerated trucks to strengthen Pakistani children’s access to vaccines
- Five trucks to be allocated to each Pakistani province, says Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal
- Harsh weather, difficult terrains and limited health care facilities complicate delivery of vaccines
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and global vaccine alliance Gavi have donated 31 refrigerated trucks to Pakistan, the country’s health ministry confirmed on Wednesday, in their bid to improve vaccine access for children in remote areas.
Children in Pakistan’s remote areas face considerable challenges in accessing vaccines. Many parts of the country, such as mountainous terrains in the north, desert areas in the south and conflict-affected zones lack proper road infrastructure and reliable transportation for vaccines.
Refrigerated trucks, also known as cold chain vehicles, store vaccines in specific cold temperatures to ensure they do not lose their effectiveness. These trucks were provided through a collaborative effort between the Pakistani government, UNICEF and Gavi, the health ministry said.
“UNICEF officially handed over 31 refrigerated trucks to the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI) in Islamabad today,” the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination said.
Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and UNICEF’s representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil, took part in a ceremony during which the trucks were handed over to Pakistan.
The ministry quoted Kamal as saying that five refrigerated trucks would be allocated to each province of the country.
“These new refrigerated vehicles will significantly strengthen access to life-saving vaccines for children across Pakistan, including the remote regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and other hard-to-reach areas,” he said.
Kamal also spoke about Pakistan’s ongoing national anti-polio drive, which began on Apr. 21 and will run for seven days. Over 450,000 frontline workers are taking part in the drive.
The health minister expressed concern over parents’ growing refusals for polio drops and directed authorities to file a police report against vaccine refusers.
“Every child has the right to be protected from preventable diseases,” UNICEF’s Fadil was quoted as saying. “By safeguarding vaccine potency through a strengthened cold chain, we are making strides toward a healthier Pakistan where every child is fully immunized.”
The health ministry said UNICEF, with support from Gavi, was also providing technical assistance to improve vaccine micro plans, cold chain system strengthening and real-time monitoring.
This latest initiative builds upon ongoing support for vaccine access in Pakistan, which included the delivery of 23 refrigerated vehicles in 2021 and seven pick-up trucks earlier this year.
