KARACHI:
While the current government eagerly waits for Prime Minister Imran Khan to receive the award for “Champion of Nature” at the 48th annual World Economic Forum meeting being held on 23-26 January 2021, the Chief Justice has expressed much astonishment over the current initiatives being implemented in order to curb the effects of climate change and global warming.
Not only was he dissatisfied over the pollution control reports, but also noted that officers were indolent, sitting comfortably in their offices, filing reports instead of being present on the field and observing things first hand. However, what was most shocking was his lamenting the Billion Tree Tsunami project. While not a single planted tree had been seen on the Peshawar Motorway, the situation in the capital seemed far worse since the city remains engulfed in dust and debris.
This puts into question the whole rhetoric regarding Pakistan’s fight against climate change. With the country suffering severely from pollution, extreme weather and natural disasters, it is imperative that the government shows the door to officers who have failed to perform. Time is of the essence and such slackness cannot be tolerated by anyone, especially when dealing with one of the most important global agendas.
It is about time for officers and officials to be re-briefed regarding the severity of the climate crisis. The harsh reality that we all need to face is that Pakistan will have no future if measures of tackling climate change are not effectively implemented.
Rehan Hashmi
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2020.
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