Page 15 - Pakistan Link - November 19, 2021

PAKISTAN NOVEMBER 19, 2021 – PAKISTAN LINK – P15
Lahore, Delhi Smog Forces School Shaukat Tarin Outlines Five

Closures as Residents Choke Actions Demanded by IMF

A man rides a donkey-drawn cart supplying steel rods on a smoggy morning in Lahore
Islamabad: Adviser to the Prime wanted Rs170bn worth of tax ex-
Lahore: India’s capital has shut joining areas. shut until further notice. Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin emptions in addition to improved
schools and coal plants as it battles “It is of utmost importance “Anti-smog guns” — which has said Pakistan will have to com- petroleum levy collections for
dangerous levels of air pollution in that the meeting of the Council spray mist into the air — and water plete about five “prior actions” be- which the government had set Rs-
the region that on Wednesday left be convened at the earliest by the sprinklers were ordered to operate fore the Inter¬na¬tional Monetary 610bn target for the year but could
residents of Lahore choking on ac- chief minister, Punjab to deliberate at pollution hotspots at least three Fund (IMF) calls a meeting of its collect about Rs50bn in the first
rid smog. upon the calamity of smog and to times a day. board of directors to approve revival four months. The saving grace on
Air quality has worsened issue direction for effectively deal- The commission also said that of its $6 billion Extended Fund Fa- this front was revenue collection
across northern India and adjacent ing with the situation on an urgent at least half of government workers cility suspended in April this year. that was significantly higher than
parts of Pakistan in recent years, as basis,” says Justice Shahid Karim in were being sent home and private Talking to journalists at the the target.
industrial pollutants, smoke from his written order issued on a peti- firms should follow suit. launch of Corporate Philanthropy But there are still certain
seasonal crop burn-off, and colder tion relating to the environmental The order came days after the Survey here on Tuesday, Mr Tarin things which cannot be changed
winter temperatures coalesce into issues. Delhi government pushed back said all issues with the IMF staff given the disbursement of $500m
toxic smog. The judge said the meeting of against a call by India’s Supreme had been settled on the basis of is approved by the IMF board on
In Pakistan, Lahore which is the council shall be convened and Court to declare the city’s first “pol- which they gave “us a list of five the basis of those commitments.
near the border with India, was de- held within the current week and a lution lockdown”, which would re- prior actions” to complete so that Also, the IMF is no more ready to
clared the most polluted city in the report shall be filed by the secretary strict the population to their homes. they could call a board meet- accept ordinances as prior action
world on Wednesday by a Swiss air to the chief minister before the next Nasla Tower ing on Pakistan’s case. “Don’t ask for removal of tax exemptions and
quality monitor. hearing on Nov 18. me [about] dates but IMF deal is unprecedented powers and pro-
Lahore, a city of 11 million, Earlier, Justice Karim observed Demolition to Cost done,” he added. tections to the SBP management
had an air quality ranking of 348 that the provincial government was Mr Tarin said these prior and has now linked approval of
according to Swiss air quality moni- responsible for making Lahore the Rs220 Million actions included State Bank of the bills by parliament as prior ac-
tor IQAir, well over the hazardous most polluted city. He regretted Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, with- tions.
level of 300 set by the WHO. that the government deliberately Karachi: The city administration is drawal of tax exemptions and Responding to a question
“Children are experiencing failed to make the city clean and learnt to have sought directions of increase in energy tariff. He said about prior actions required from
breathing diseases... for God’s sake, green. The judge also reprimanded the Supreme Court to finalize the the action pertaining to tariff ad- the central bank, Mr Tarin said
find a solution,” laborer Muham- the Lahore commissioner and the demolition of Nasla Tower as one justment had already been met the monetary policy and exchange
mad Saeed told AFP. Punjab Disaster Management Au- firm sought Rs220 million for razing for now with a recent Rs1.39 per rate were the domain of the SBP
In recent years, Lahore resi- thority (PDMA) director general the high-rise via controlled implo- unit increase while bills to end tax and the monetary policy commit-
dents have built their own purifiers for not doing on-site inspection. sion while the other offered free-of- exemptions and give autonomy to tee and he would neither like to
and filed lawsuits against govern- The petitioner’s counsel, Sher- cost service via mechanical means. the SBP had been prepared. The interfere nor comment.
ment officials in desperate bids to az Zaka, presented a government Well-placed sources told Dawn next tariff increase would take In reply to another question,
clean the air. notification of 2020 whereby smog on Sunday that Commissioner Mu- place by February-March 2022. he said the shifting of various ac-
But authorities have been slow had been declared a calamity under hammed Iqbal Memon had submit- The finance adviser said the counts of a number of federal and
to act, blaming the smog on India section 3 of the Punjab National ted a report to the apex court in- two bills were being fine-tuned provincial government entities
or claiming the figures are exagger- Calamities (Prevention & Relief) forming the pros and cons of both for finalization by the Ministry of worth trillions of rupees into a
ated. Act 1958. the methods proposed by the two Law and Justice after the two sides single treasury account was also
Lahore is consistently ranked The PDMA chief, present in shortlisted companies. completed discussions. When a condition of the IMF program,
one of the world’s worst cities for court, had not been able to present He informed the SC that no pointed out that the IMF board but this was not a prior action
air pollution. any tangible steps which were taken company or authority had experi- may meet on December 17 as ear- and would be gradually com-
“We are poor people, we can’t pursuant to the notification. ence in demolition of a building in lier scheduled and then delayed plied with. It is now a matter of
even afford a doctor’s charges,” Delhi is consistently ranked an urban area through controlled until February, he explained that record that those at the helm of
shopkeeper Ikram Ahmed told the world’s worst capital for air implosion. the IMF board could be called economic affairs at the time had
AFP. quality, with levels of pollutants last He said that a committee of anytime provided prior actions pushed through the SBP law that
“We can only plead with them week reaching more than 30 times technical experts was constituted for were complete. is now being seen in violation of
to control the pollution. I am not a the maximum limit recommended assessing and evaluating the interest Sources said Mr Tarin had the Constitution.
literate person, but I have read that by the World Health Organization. shown by different companies. also asked the public sector enti- The central bank manage-
Lahore has the worst air quality and The city on Tuesday ordered The SC was informed that the ties involved in circular debt to ment had tried to secure complete
then comes Delhi. If it continues the closure until the end of the committee recommended a firm, announce dividends based on re- autonomy for its acts of omissions
like this, we will die.” month of six of 11 coal-fired power Hi-Tech Electronics and Machin- ceivables on their accounts. The and commissions without any
Laborer Saeed said he had plants surrounding the metropolis ery/DG Demolition, which offered government will divert its divi- accountability. The initial draft
stopped taking his children outside in a bid to tackle the filthy air. demolition by implosion with all dend share to clear payables. This amendment law shared by the
for walks because of the dirty air. The move comes after India safety measures, seeking a 60-day will reduce circular debt by over IMF and reconciled by the Min-
“There are factories and small led the charge at the weekend to period for demolition and post-de- Rs200bn and clear balance sheets istry of Finance and the central
industries operating here — either weaken anti-coal pledges at the UN molition work. of the entities on the basis of bank was still under vetting of
shift them somewhere else, give COP26 climate summit, with crit- The commissioner’s report said which the government will raise the Law Division and the Cabinet
them compensation or provide ics saying it prioritized economic the company had given a cost of global depository receipts (GDRs) Committee on Disposal of Legis-
them with modern technology, so growth over the planet’s future. Rs220m for demolition, including in the international market. lative Cases (CCLC) when a new
we can get rid of this smog,” he said. The Indian capital of 20 million rights on debris and attached valu- The sources said Mr Tarin draft reached the cabinet seeking
LHC asks CM Buzdar to con- people has also cancelled school able material. had been able to convince the IMF exemption from mandatory re-
vene Environment Protection classes and urged people to work It said the building designs had staff to significantly alter the SBP view by the CCLC in rush.
Council meeting on smog: The from home while banning non-es- been shared with the firm.It was also amendment bill that former fi- The cabinet granted the ex-
Lahore High Court on Tuesday di- sential trucks from entering the city indicated in the report that the com- nance minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh emption from CCLC review and,
rected the chief minister to convene in an effort to clean the smog. mittee had recommended a firm, and SBP Governor Dr Reza Baqir without a detailed presentation or
a meeting of the Environment Pro- In an order passed late Tues- ANI Enterprises, for demolition of had committed to the IMF ahead discussions, also cleared the con-
tection Council (EPC) at the earli- day, the city’s Commission for Air the building through conventional of $500 million disbursements in troversial bill on the premise that
est to discuss the smog situation in Quality Management said all edu- means, i.e., with the assistance of March this year. it would strengthen institutions
the provincial metropolis and ad- cation institutions should remain machinery and manual labor. The sources said the IMF and was unavoidable.
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