LAHORE: The Lahore High Court chief justice on Wednesday directed the Council of Common Interests to get its water policy implemented within two months.

During hearing of a petition, Climate Change Commission Chairman Dr Pervez Hasan stated the CCI had ignored discussion on power and water crisis in its last meeting.

Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah observed that water and power crisis was critical and required to be addressed on priority.

The CJ had constituted the commission for effective implementation of the National Climate Change Policy 2012 and the framework for Implementation of Climate Change Policy.

He directed the CCI to get its water policy within two months and also sought a report from the climate change commission on steps taken to control river floods.

An agriculturist, Asghar Leghari, had filed the petition submitting that overwhelming majority of scientists, experts and professional scientific organisations related to earth sciences had agreed that evidences were sufficient that climate change was real. He said no one could deny the devastating impact of increase in frequency and intensity of climate extremes.

He said experts agreed that the major cause was human activities, which include a complex interaction with the natural environment coupled with social and economic changes that were increasing heat and gases in atmosphere.

He contended that for Pakistan, climate change was no longer a distant threat as the country was already feeling and experiencing its impacts. He sought implementation on the National Climate Change Policy and its framework.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2017