Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has confirmed that the government is looking into options to eradicate or at least lessen the pollution in major cities of Pakistan. The government, as confirmed by Malik Amin Aslam, is looking into improving the transport system by shifting to e-vehicles. While the government should be commended for recognising the amount of pollution that vehicles add to the environment, the solution they are opting for is long term and would require major shifts within the system to allow space for e-vehicles. At this moment, all major cities are swamped with cars, buses, motorcycles, all ranging from public to private. This means that the government would either have to look into somehow decluttering the space taken up by these vehicles in order to introduce new cars within the system because customers will be very resentful towards giving up resources to invest in environment-friendly options.

At the same time, the last government of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) also introduced Careem and Uber in the economy, giving space to more vehicles on the roads. A contract was also signed with Hyundai to set up a manufacturing plant in Faisalabad. The current government needs to be aware of these optics in order to help save the environment and take into consideration previous actions taken by previous governments. The government can also look into ad-hoc measures that will actually help reduce pollution in the environment. This includes fining those who operate vehicles that damage the environment. Traffic police can be entrusted with this task to ensure that people are aware of the rules being set up by the government. We have already seen great awareness at least in major cities after the government’s push to wear helmets, not use tinted windows, and have licensed number plates. After initial resistance, the government’s consistent efforts can help manoeuvre change in the system.