Ministry shares with NA panel: NA body concerned at ‘inconsistency of data reported in briefs’

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination expressed concern over what it described as the “inconsistency of the data reported in the briefs” shared by the Climate Change Ministry with the NA panel. The committee met under the chair of Munaza Hassan to take up the relevant issues concerning the Climate Change Ministry and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) on Thursday. During the meeting, the NA panel’s chairperson stated that there were glaring inconsistencies in the data provided by the ministry to the committee. She asked the ministry officials to rectify serious mistakes, which, she said, were clearly evident in the relevant briefs prepared by the Climate Change Ministry. Pak-EPA officials said before the committee that the agency was working towards the establishment of air monitoring systems. The committee was of the view that Pak-EPA “should work upon prevention rather than monitoring alone. ” The committee also expressed its strong concern over what it described as Pak-EPA’s failure to effectively follow and implement the Air Quality Management Plan. The NA panel recommended that a report on water-testing, standards and the performance of laboratories be presented to it in the next meeting. On enforcement, the committee was informed that fines were imposed mainly by Pak-EPA on individuals and entities over violation of environment protection laws, and that a surveillance and monitoring system was in place for industrial monitoring. The committee was further informed that dust monitoring was carried out through environmental impact assessment and initial environmental examination requirements. Pak-EPA officials informed the committee that the agency was under-funded and under-staffed, but claimed that it was moving towards digitisation to address these issues. The NA panel sought from the Climate Change Ministry, in the next meeting, the details of the employees of Pak-EPA, and those of the ministry, who were assigned to other government departments on deputation basis, and the reasons for such appointments. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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