ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was the world’s second most polluted country after Bangladesh, IQAir, a Swiss group that measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5, said on Wednesday.
South Asia is the most polluted region in the world with Bangladesh, India and Pakistan sharing 42 of the 50 most polluted cities worldwide, IQAir said in its 2020 World Air Quality Report, with data gathered from 106 countries.
“The most polluted countries in the region have numerous cities that average US AQI measurements of “Unhealthy” (> 55.5 μg/m3) or worse,” the report said. “Bangladesh: 80% of cities; Pakistan: 67% of cities; India: 32% of cities.”
The report said key drivers of air pollution in Pakistan included urbanization, rapid economic development, and industrialization.
“Major sources of Pakistan’s air pollution include road transport emissions (both vehicle exhausts and road dust), domestic biomass burning, and industrial activity,” IQAir said. “Pakistan also experiences air pollution from agricultural burning and shares transboundary pollution from this activity with India.”
Alarmingly, the report noted that more than 20% of deaths in Pakistan were “attributable to the negative health impacts of air pollution exposure.”
IQAir also ranked Lahore as the world’s 18th most polluted city during 2020 and second most polluted megacity, after New Delhi, exposing its over 11 million residents to hazardous PM2.5 levels.
“There is no public access to data from the government network, but the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency has implemented some measures to mitigate industrial emissions and plans to implement a monitoring network,” IQAir said. “It is not yet clear whether data from the monitoring network will be made public in real-time.”
Pakistan ranked world’s second most polluted country — IQAir study
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Pakistan ranked world’s second most polluted country — IQAir study
- Bangladesh ranks first among polluted nations, India third in IQAir’s 2020 World Air Quality Report
- 20% of deaths in Pakistan “attributable to negative health impacts of air pollution exposure”
Pakistan says mosque data collection in Indian-administered Kashmir violates religious freedom
- Indian police distributed forms to collect details of mosques, including finances of institutions and personal details of imams
- The exercise has triggered widespread concern in the territory, with a local leader calling it ‘infringement of the religious freedom’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday condemned reported profiling of mosques and their management committees in Indian-administered Kashmir, calling it “blatant intrusion into religious affairs.”
Police distributed forms to local officials to collect details of mosques, seminaries in Indian-administered Kashmir, including finances of the institutions, personal details of imams and members of management committees, Hindustan Times reported this week, citing residents.
The police referred to the busting of a “white collar terror module” last year, which included an imam, as the reason for the exercise that has triggered widespread concern in the territory, with National Conference leader Aga Ruhullah Mehdi calling it “infringement of the religious freedom.”
Pakistan’s foreign office said the forcible collection of personal details, photographs and sectarian affiliations of religious functionaries amounts to systematic harassment, aimed at “instilling fear among worshippers and obstructing the free exercise of their faith.”
“This blatant intrusion into religious affairs constitutes a grave violation of the fundamental right to freedom of religion and belief, and reflects yet another coercive attempt to intimidate and marginalize the Muslim population of the occupied territory,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
There was no immediate response from New Delhi to the statement.
Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from Britain in 1947. Both countries have fought two of their four wars over the disputed region, which is ruled in part but claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan.
The Pakistani foreign office said the people of Indian-administered Kashmir possess an inalienable right to practice their religion “without fear, coercion or discrimination.”
“Pakistan will continue to stand in solidarity with them and will persist in raising its voice against all forms of religious persecution and intolerance targeting Kashmiris,” it added.
