ISLAMABAD: The provincial administration of Punjab on Monday decided to shut down schools and private offices in Lahore for three days a week until January 15 to deal with the worsening smog situation in the city.
Lahore was recently declared as one of the world’s most polluted places by an international air quality monitoring platform, as the residents of the eastern Pakistani city complained of health issues and breathing difficulties.
An official notification circulated by the provincial authorities acknowledged the deteriorating air quality in Lahore, saying there was “sufficient ground” to proceed under The Punjab National Calamities (Prevention & Relief) Act 1958 to ensure public safety.
“All private offices being operated by companies, private sector entities and other individuals, within the territorial limits of Lahore Metropolitan Corporation, shall remain closed on every Monday, in addition to Saturday and Sunday, with effect from 27.11.2021 until 15.1.2022,” the notification read. “However, their staff may work from home.”
The provincial administration issued a similar directive for all “public and private educational institutions” in the city, instructing them not ask their students to come on Saturday, Sunday and Monday while allowing these institutes to “arrange virtual classes.”
Smog begins to engulf Lahore and its adjoining settlements every year during winter season.
Pakistan’s top climate change official Malik Amin Aslam recently told a private news channel that 40 percent of it was caused by the transportation sector, as he emphasized the need to move toward better quality fuel and electric vehicles.
He also mentioned crop burning that has become a norm during the season, though he noted that 90 percent of such cases were taking place in India.
Aslam hinted at the possibility of relying on artificial rain to address the challenge of smog in the coming years, adding that Pakistani authorities were already studying the cloud-seeding technology developed in the United Arab Emirates for that purpose.
Punjab orders closure of schools, private workplaces on Mondays as smog situation worsens in Lahore
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Punjab orders closure of schools, private workplaces on Mondays as smog situation worsens in Lahore
- An official notification circulated by the provincial administration acknowledge the deteriorating air quality in the eastern Pakistani city
- The notification says there is ‘sufficient ground’ to proceed under The Punjab National Calamities Act to ensure public safety by taking appropriate measures
World Bank president in Pakistan to discuss development projects, policy issues
- Pakistan, World Bank are currently gearing up to implement a 10-year partnership framework to grant $20 billion loans to the cash-strapped nation
- World Bank President Ajay Banga will hold meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials during the high-level visit
ISLAMABAD: World Bank President Ajay Banga has arrived in Pakistan to hold talks with senior government officials on development projects and key policy issues, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, as Islamabad seeks multilateral support to stabilize economy and accelerate growth.
The visit comes at a time when Pakistan and the World Bank are gearing up to implement a 10-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to grant $20 billion in loans to the cash-strapped nation.
The World Bank’s lending for Pakistan, due to start this year, will focus on education quality, child stunting, climate resilience, energy efficiency, inclusive development and private investment.
"World Bank President Ajay Banga arrives in Pakistan for a high-level visit," the state-run Pakistan TV Digital reported on Sunday. "During his stay, he will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials to discuss economic reforms, development projects, and key policy issues."
Pakistan, which nearly defaulted on its foreign debt obligations in 2023, is currently making efforts to stabilize its economy under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
Besides efforts to boost trade and foreign investment, Islamabad has been seeking support from multilateral financial institutions to ensure economic recovery.
“This partnership fosters a unified and focused vision for your county around six outcomes with clear, tangible and ambitious 10-year targets,” Martin Raiser, the World Bank vice president for South Asia, had said at the launch of the CPF in Jan. last year.
“We hope that the CPF will serve as an anchor for this engagement to keep us on the right track. Partnerships will equally be critical. More resources will be needed to have the impact at the scale that we wish to achieve and this will require close collaboration with all the development partners.”
In Dec., the World Bank said it had approved $700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country's macroeconomic stability and service delivery.
It followed a $47.9 million World Bank grant in August last year to improve primary education in Pakistan's most populous Punjab province.
