The NA Committee on Climate Change has expressed deep concern over Pakistan’s weak emission control measures and directed the Ministry of Climate Change to prepare a comprehensive air quality improvement plan within four weeks.
The meeting of the NA Committee, chaired by MNA Munaza Hassan at the Parliament House, emphasized that environmental protection and climate policy must become a key part of Pakistan’s foreign agenda. Members also called for increased budget allocations for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination to strengthen its operations.
Officials from the ministry and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration briefed the NA Committee on the current status of vehicle emission standards and their contribution to urban air pollution. The Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad, representing the Chief Commissioner’s Office, informed the committee that the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) lacks the financial and technical resources required to effectively monitor air quality.
It was revealed 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 ongoing vehicle testing in the capital.
The committee also expressed concern that Pakistan’s vehicle emission standards are still based on outdated Euro-II levels, far behind the Euro-V and Euro-VI benchmarks used internationally. Members agreed that upgrading these standards and enforcing strict compliance are critical for improving air quality, especially in major cities such as Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad.
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The NA Committee instructed the ministry to submit a detailed roadmap within four weeks. The plan should include strategies for emission reduction, air quality monitoring, and institutional strengthening to ensure sustainable environmental improvement across the country.
