ISLAMABAD: The capital administration has launched a crackdown on the use of polythene bags under the Single-Use Plastics (Prohibition) Regulations.

The administration said on Saturday that a complete ban on polythene bags was in effect in Islamabad and that legal action was being taken against violators under the 2023 regulations prohibiting single-use plastics.

A total of 313 kilogrammes of polythene bags were confiscated during separate operations. In a single day, 88 shopkeepers were arrested, and nine shops were sealed, the administration said.

The deputy commissioner of Islamabad said the ban aimed to reduce environmental pollution and protect the natural environment.

Plastic bags cause long-lasting pollution on land and in waterways, while discarded bags can clog drains and exacerbate sanitation problems, he said.

He urged shopkeepers to stop selling and supplying polythene bags and adopt environment-friendly alternatives. Citizens and traders were also asked to cooperate with the district administration in enforcing the ban.

The ban was first imposed in Islamabad in July 2019 by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA). Under the regulations, the unauthorised manufacture, import, distribution, sale, purchase, storage and use of polythene bags is prohibited in Islamabad.

Any person or entity violating the ban is liable to a fine of up to Rs500,000, according to Schedule V of the regulations.

However, the regulations allow five exempted uses for polythene bags, subject to authorisation from Pak-EPA. These include industrial packing, primary industrial packing, municipal waste, hospital waste and hazardous waste.

Since 2019, the authorities and the capital administration have carried out crackdowns against the use, sale and purchase of polythene bags in separate phases.

However, the administration has faced difficulties in fully enforcing the ban, with polythene bags continuing to be used by vendors and shopkeepers in the capital.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026