He said that every year during winter there is a problem of breathing. Therefore, to deal with this, we should make diplomatic efforts and talk to India on this issue and seek help.
Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Naveez Sharif and Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab province, has advocated 'climate diplomacy' with India to deal with the dire problem of pollution and smog. Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the “Chief Minister Climate Leadership Development Internship Programme” in Punjab's capital Lahore, he appealed for dialogue and help from India under climate diplomacy. He has made this call at a time when, just a few days later, India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is going to visit Pakistan next week to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Summit.
Maryam, niece of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said, “We should talk to him,” Geo TV reported. Referring to the smog problem in Lahore, Chief Minister Maryam stressed the need for climate diplomacy with India. He said that Lahore is one of the most polluted cities in the world. He said that every year during winter there is a problem of breathing. Therefore, to deal with this, we should make diplomatic efforts and talk to India on this issue and seek help.
The Chief Minister said that she is monitoring the vehicles emitting smoke in her state and getting fitness certificates of the vehicles issued. Stressing the need for effective measures to tackle pollution, Maryam said smog cannot be controlled by just “pressing a button”. For this we will have to resort to climate diplomacy. He stressed on making coordinated efforts with India to reduce haze. Let us tell you that during winter days, the smoke produced by stubble burning crosses the border and reaches Pakistan. Due to this, the problem of smog and difficulty in breathing increases in Pakistan and Punjab during the cold season. Lahore and Delhi are among the polluted cities of the world.
This foreign visit of External Affairs Minister Jaishankar is the first official visit of its kind in almost a decade. However, Jaishankar has already clarified that there will be no talks or discussion on bilateral relations during this visit as diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan have been at a standstill for the last several years. The two countries have had a tense and tumultuous relationship. India had downgraded its diplomatic ties with Islamabad after the Pulwama attack and firmly maintains that India will not hold talks with Pakistan until it gives up its double standards on terrorism and cracks down on terrorists.
Let us tell you that the SCO summit is going to be held in Islamabad on October 15 and 16, 2024. Many heads of government of member countries will participate in the summit, in which External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit is an intergovernmental organization that focuses on political, economic, defense and security issues in Eurasia. It is primarily led by the Council of Heads of State (HSC) and the Council of Heads of Government (HGC).
