KARACHI:The World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) on Thursday urged the government to take long-term action to control vehicular emissions amid rising air pollution in major cities.

The organisation’s concern followed recent reports about Karachi and Lahore being ranked amongst the world’s most polluted cities by an air quality monitoring platform.

The WWF-P said vehicular emissions and low-quality fuel remained the leading contributors to the crisis and must be prioritised in anti-smog and pollution control campaigns. The organisation noted that while temporary measures, such as the use of smog guns, offered short-term relief, sustainable improvements required systemic reforms.

“Vehicular emissions are the single largest source of urban air pollution. Pakistan continues to rely on low-grade Euro- II fuel, which falls well below global Euro-V standards. Poorly maintained buses, trucks and tractors further aggravate the problem by releasing harmful particulate matter into the atmosphere,” the organisation said.

Other sources of pollution, it added, included small industries and furnaces using substandard fuels, the open burning of solid waste, and crop residue fires during wheat field preparation. Despite official restrictions, such practices continued, underscoring the need for stricter enforcement.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2025