ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Climate Change on Tuesday approved ‘The Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora (Amendment) Bill 2022’.

The NA body met at Parliament House with Nuzhat Pathan in the chair. The meeting was attended by Members of National Assembly (MNAs) Romina Khurshid Aalma, Shamim Ara Panwar, Shakeela Luqman, Ayesha Rajab Baloch, Tahira Aurangzeb, Zeb Jaffar, Kesomal Khel Das, Sabir Qaimkhani and Afreen Khan.

The committee disposed of a matter regarding problems of environmental pollution through production of energy from coal being faced by the country moved by Tahira Aurangzeb on the request of mover of the agenda.

The committee appointed a four-member sub-committee on the issue of Dasu Dam including Afreen Khan, Romina Khurshid Alam, Keso Mal Kheal Das and Tahira Aurangzeb while Afreen Khan was appointed as its convener.

The committee took serious notice of the attack on Environment Protection Agency (EPA) director general in Savour Foods in Islamabad on Aug 18, 2019 and decided to ask for a follow up of the case from IG Islamabad and decided to call him in its next meeting.

The committee decided to meet again on March 10 to discuss the issue of rapidly increasing housing societies in ICT and its impacts on the environment. A question regarding pollution which is the cause of asthma, cancer, and stunted growth of children moved by MNA Nuzhat Pathan, was disposed of as she expressed satisfaction on the reply of the Ministry of Climate Change and withdraw her agenda.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2023