The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has escalated its anti-smog campaign in Islamabad, launching widespread inspections of vehicles and industries, demolishing non-compliant brick kilns and opening new emission-testing stations to counter rapidly deteriorating air quality.
According to an official information today, Pak-EPA Director General Nazia Zaib Ali explained that the measures-covering short-, medium- and long-term interventions-are being implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC), Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP), Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, she pointed out that smog levels have surged across northern Pakistan. Recent research shows the transport sector remains the largest contributor to smog-forming emissions, accounting for 43 per cent in Punjab and an alarming 83 per cent in Lahore, according to a 2023 Urban Unit study.
Since the drive began on December 1, enforcement teams have inspected over 1,000 diesel vehicles at Islamabad’s entry points. More than 300 challans were issued and upwards of 80 vehicles were impounded for breaching National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) related to emissions and noise.
To strengthen compliance, four new Emission Testing Stations have been set up at D-Chowk, Lake View Park, Metro Cash and Carry and F-9 Park, where vehicle owners can obtain compliance certificates.
Ms Ali underscored that non-compliant vehicles would not be permitted to pollute the capital’s air, stressing that enforcement teams are active daily and punitive action is being taken without exception. She noted that anti-smog guns, enhanced monitoring and real-time inspections form part of the immediate response.
Industrial oversight has also been intensified. Pak-EPA Director Dr Zaigham Abbas reported that all 30 brick kilns in Islamabad have transitioned to zigzag technology, while three that failed to comply were demolished. In Sangjani, out of 48 marble factories, 32 meet required standards, 16 remain under scrutiny and three have been sealed. Two steel units in the I-10 Industrial Area continue to be monitored round-the-clock through live camera feeds.
He emphasised a strict approach towards industries using outdated, high-pollution technologies, noting that enforcement is accompanied by efforts to help industries adopt cleaner methods.
Under its short-term plan, Pak-EPA aims to deploy anti-smog guns in hotspots, intensify checks on ageing and high-emission vehicles and enforce a ban on non-compliant transport entering the city. Industrial checks are being scaled up in collaboration with CDA and ICT Administration.
Medium-term goals include expanding the air quality monitoring network, enhancing Pak-EPA’s technical capacity, coordinating with provincial EPAs to tackle cross-border pollution and carrying out extensive tree plantation campaigns. Legal reforms are also underway.
Long-term actions involve implementing the Electric Vehicle Policy 2025, introducing an old-vehicle retirement mechanism, improving access to clean fuels and enforcing the National Clean Air Policy 2023 for sustained air-quality improvement.
Ministry spokesperson Muhammad Saleem Shaikh noted that public awareness campaigns have been activated across print, electronic and social media. All government and private organisations in Islamabad have been instructed to test their vehicle fleets for emissions at certified labs, with 28 entities issued personal hearing notices for failing to comply.
He underlined that the government views air pollution as a public health emergency and is boosting enforcement, expanding monitoring systems and engaging citizens to prevent Islamabad from facing smog levels similar to those in other major cities.
Ms Ali urged residents to support the campaign by reducing unnecessary travel, wearing masks during high-smog days, improving indoor air quality and avoiding open waste burning. She cautioned that government action alone will not suffice without broad public participation, expressing confidence that collective effort can help Islamabad avoid severe smog episodes witnessed elsewhere.