ISLAMABAD: A Senate subcommittee on Thursday sought assistance from the Ministry of Climate Change to draft legislation on vehicular emissions in the capital.

“The idea is to bring a check on tailpipe emissions from cars as well as other automobile components, and a law should be made to fight air pollution,” Senator Mohammad Asad Ali Khan Junejo said while chairing a meeting of a subcommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change.

The committee met to work out the details for the implementation of a vehicle examination system.

The committee was told that by the Ministry of Communication’s National Transportation Section that while there are laws, such as the Motor Vehicle Ordinance, in place, they are not being implemented.

Director general environment at the climate change ministry, Irfan Tariq, said that emissions from vehicles make up 43pc of air pollution in the city.

Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Director General Farzana Altaf Shah told the committee that fuel quality has to be improved to nip the issue of vehicular pollution in the bud.

“Despite commitments from the Ministry of Petroleum to improve the quality of fuel, especially diesel, both petrol and diesel are below standard,” she said.

She said that while petrol is Euro II compliant and of slightly better quality, diesel being sold in the open market does not comply with international standards.

“The sulphur content in diesel is still very high,” Ms Altaf told senators, urging them to bind the petroleum ministry to improving the quality of fuel, without which she said vehicular emission would not be controlled.

Senator Junejo said that despite the poor quality of fuel, it was imperative to have legislation for vehicle inspections as well as to ensure safety features.

“We will introduce the law gradually, without making it a burden on the already overwhelmed masses in these difficult times,” he added.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2019