‘Really suffocating’: Pakistan emerges from record smog season

Pledges for Clean Air: Addressing the Root Cause of Pollution

The fight against air pollution is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention, but many efforts often miss the mark by focusing on the symptoms rather than the source. Ahmad Ali Gul, a professor at Lahore’s University of Management and Technology, emphasizes this point with a simple yet powerful analogy. "It’s like when you have a bathtub that’s overflowing and creating a mess—do you first grab a towel or do you first close the tap?" he asks. Gul argues that tackling the effects of pollution, such as smog, is secondary to addressing its root cause: reducing emissions. "First, we need to focus on reducing the emissions, and then we can talk about how to protect ourselves from smog," he says. This approach highlights the need for a proactive strategy to combat pollution, rather than merely reacting to its consequences.

The Government’s Response and the Blame Game

The government of Pakistan has often shifted the blame for Lahore’s pollution to neighboring India, suggesting that polluted air from across the border is contributing to the city’s poor air quality. However, this deflects attention from the country’s own systemic issues. Officials admit that a staggering 83% of Lahore’s carbon emissions come from transport, and Pakistan’s vehicle emissions standards are far from stringent. This lack of regulation exacerbates the problem, as outdated and polluting vehicles continue to dominate the roads. The government has set ambitious targets, such as aiming for electric vehicles to make up a third of new car sales by 2030, but the road to achieving this goal is long and fraught with challenges.

The Push for Cleaner Fuels and Electric Vehicles

International experts, such as Frank Hammes, the global CEO of the Switzerland-based AQI air quality project, agree that a shift to cleaner fuels and technologies could yield immediate results. Hammes points to successes in other countries where such transitions have significantly improved air quality. However, he also acknowledges that these changes require strong central leadership to enforce policies that may be politically or economically painful in the short term. "Switching to a cleaner fuel would give immediate results," Hammes says, "but it needs a pretty strong central effort to push down sometimes the painful changes that need to be made in order to reduce air pollution."

In Pakistan, the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is still in its infancy. While cheaper Chinese models were introduced in 2024, they remain a fraction of overall car sales. With 40% of Pakistan’s 240 million population living in poverty, according to the World Bank, affordability remains a significant barrier. For many, the cost of transitioning to cleaner technologies is simply out of reach, making it a daunting task for the government to achieve its lofty EV targets.

A Glimpse of Clean Air During the Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan experienced an unexpected respite from pollution. A nationwide lockdown in March 2020 forced vehicles off the streets and factories to shut down, leading to a dramatic improvement in air quality. Omar Masud, a director of the Urban Unit, which analyzes pollution data for the government, recalls the transformation. "Air quality improved so much that we could even see the stars in Lahore in the evening," he said. However, this clean air was short-lived, as the economic impact of the lockdown proved unsustainable for many. The brief period of clear skies served as a vivid reminder of what could be achieved if emissions were reduced, but it also highlighted the difficult trade-offs between environmental and economic priorities.

Climate Change and Public Priorities in Pakistan

While climate change can exacerbate air pollution, few Pakistanis view global warming as a pressing concern. Abdul Sattar Babar, Ipsos director for Pakistan, explains that economic challenges dominate the daily lives of most citizens. "Most Pakistanis are overwhelmed by the economic challenges that they are facing," he says. "When you can barely survive, climate issues are obviously not your primary concern." This perspective underscores the complexity of addressing environmental issues in a country where poverty and economic instability are widespread. For many, the immediacy of financial struggles overshadows the long-term threats posed by climate change and air pollution.

The Way Forward: Collective Action and Strong Leadership

The battle for clean air in Pakistan is far from over, but there are glimmers of hope. The government’s targets for electric vehicles and the introduction of cleaner fuels are steps in the right direction, but they will require sustained effort and strong leadership to implement. As Gul’s bathtub analogy suggests, the first step must be to "turn off the tap"—to reduce emissions at their source—rather than merely mopping up the mess. Only with a combination of policy changes, international cooperation, and public awareness can Pakistan hope to achieve the clean air its citizens deserve. The challenge is daunting, but the reward—a healthier environment and a sustainable future—is worth the effort.