ISLAMABAD: Members of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change on Monday criticised the government for granting rich Arabs a freehand to hunt in Pakistan.

“We are not allowed to go to our lands, because a sheikh is hunting,” the committee chairman, Senator Mir Mohammad Yousuf Badini, said.

Members of the committee also criticised the government’s claims in the Supreme Court that relations with the Arab world will suffer if hunting permits to the Arab royals were withdrawn.

The chairman of the committee said that a Qatari prince, “possibly the one who wrote the letter to the SC,” was currently hunting in Bhakkar.

“Now you say we are the subjects and friendly relations depend on our services to them, but tell us what the government has done to reduce the reckless hunting by Arab royals,” Senator Badini asked.

The members said the government should have uniform hunting rules for locals and foreigners and some even called government functionaries watchdogs for Arab royals.

Minister in-charge for Climate Change Zahid Hamid remained silent during the debate and only added that when money is received for the Pakistan Houbara Bustard and Migratory Birds Endowment Fund, it will be disbursed to the provinces.

The minister also said that these funds, which amount to Rs250 million, will be utilised for the welfare of local communities.

The committee decided to write a letter to the government asking for a cap on hunting and to make a clear policy on the matter.

The committee also discussed the issue of climate change and the smog in Lahore.

Members criticised the Climate Change Ministry for not answering a query related to the heavy smog in Lahore and other parts of central Punjab.

“It is strange that the ministry did not conduct a study into the cause of such heavy smog,” Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said.

“We can see that smog could be a serious issue in the near future,” he added.

Senator Hussain then talked about his discussion with Maliha Lodhi, Pakistan’s permanent representative in the UN.

“She said that India was lobbying to block the grant of $100 million for climate change,” he said.

Minister Hamid acknowledged that the activities of the Environment Protection Agency have been limited to Islamabad only Members agreed that the lack of rains and heavy smog were signs of climate change and that the concerned ministry needed to take a pro-active approach to tackle the issue.

The committee directed the ministry to submit a report on the smog in 10 days.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Senator Badini said the government was not serious about tackling climate change issues.

“Possibly because poor and ordinary citizens are affected more,” he said, adding that the government did not even have a minister for climate change.

Zahid Hamid currently holds additional charge as the Minister for Climate Change, when he serves as the law minister.

The report of a subcommittee on the issue of the construction of an LNG terminal resulting in the obstruction of Bundel Island in Port Qasim, Karachi was also presented to the committee.

The issue was brought up by senators Taj Haider and Sherry Rehman.

The convenor of the subcommittee, Senator Samina Abid presented the report. Members of the sub-committee include Senators Saleem Zia and Sitara Ayaz.

According to the report, licences were issued for three LNG terminals including Engro Elengy, Pakistan Gas Port and Global Energy Infrastructure, which were some 18-20 kilometres from Bundel Island. The report concluded that there was no evidence of LNG terminals being constructed at Bundel Island. The report will be presented in Senate by the chairman of the committee.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2016