ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul on Tuesday said operation would soon be launched against manufacturers of substandard cosmetic products.

She said this while addressing a seminar held in connection with Global Climate Strike here at FAST-National University of Computer & Emerging Sciences.

The seminar was arranged by FAST-NU Islamabad campus in collaboration with capital administration under Global Climate Strike.

The minister of state said that her ministry was going to request the PM to declare climate emergency across the country. She urged the youth to unite against pollution to protect the environment for healthy living.

Global Strike was launched to compel the developed countries and large scale corporations to control the emission of greenhouse gases, she added.

While talking about government’s commitment, the minister said: “Our billion tree tsunami project” was heavily criticised but now it is being considered as success stories of the century.

She said that youths’ attitude matters for any change in perception. While quoting different international news organizations, the minister said that by different surveys it was reported that 60pc of Pakistanis know nothing about climate change, however, the way our youth has proven all such claims wrong by responding to this call in letter & spirit.

FAST-NU Assistant Professor Usman Chaudhry sharing the concept of Global Climate Strike said that there was a need to understand there was no Planet B.

“If we want to live here, let us show responsibility and not take things for granted,” he said.

Assistant Commissioner Islamabad Mehreen Baloch said that Pakistan was the 8th most vulnerable and climate change hit country. Describing some measures taken by Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration, she said that heavy fines were being imposed on littering while the district administration authority had banned the brick kilns to operate inside the territory of federal capital.

She said the administration had succeeded in achieving a sufficient decrease in the usage of plastic bags and the ban is being implemented very strictly.

Actor and director Usman Mukhtar and environmentalist Mariam Shabbir also addressed the seminar and urged the youth to play their role in climate strike. FAST-NU Campus Director Dr Waseem Ikram also spoke n the occasion.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2019