Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab Additional Director General (ADG) Dr Zafar Iqbal Monday said that proactive anti-smog compliance was imperative for national development and the industrialists should complete all these measures before the onset of smog season
FAISALABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 3rd Aug, 2026) Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab Additional Director General (ADG) Dr Zafar Iqbal Monday said that proactive anti-smog compliance was imperative for national development and the industrialists should complete all these measures before the onset of smog season.
He expressed these views while addressing a representative meeting of leading industrialists and traders at Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI).
He said that EPA’s Primary objective was to safeguard the environment while ensuring that the industrial wheel continued to move smoothly.
Appreciating general attitude of the people of Faisalabad towards compliance with environmental laws, he said that industrial community had already been making efforts to meet environmental standards.
However, the department wanted to dispel the misconception that it was working against industries, he added.
Referring to Pakistan‘s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, Dr Zafar Iqbal said that the country remained directly affected by smog and airborne dust despite its relatively small share in global emissions.
He stressed that every segment of society had a responsibility to help reduce environmental pollution.
Highlighting the Pre-Smog Action Plan 2026, he urged industrialists to remove shortcomings and complete all necessary environmental measures well before the smog season so that industrial and commercial activities could continue without disruption during the enforcement period.
He also directed Deputy Director EPA Usman Azhar to consult the local tractor-trolley association and formulate a practical strategy to address the issue of soil spilling from trolleys onto roads. Similar issues relating to other industries should also be resolved through mutual consultation with stakeholders, he added.
Earlier, FCCI President Farooq Yousaf Sheikh said that Faisalabad was no longer solely a textile hub, as several other industries including export-oriented units were expanding rapidly in the city.
He informed the participants that the chamber had around 22,000 members representing 128 different sectors.
Describing Faisalabad as the country’s second-largest revenue-generating city, he said that it had always played a leading role in relief activities during floods and other natural disasters.
He said that one of the chamber’s key objectives was to strengthen coordination between government institutions and business community so that the issues could be resolved through dialogue and consultation.
He said that migration and population growth were rapidly reducing agricultural land and stressed the need to encourage vertical urban development through multi-storey buildings.
Quoting environmental data, he said that industries accounted for only 9.97 percent of overall pollution while the automobile sector contributed 83.15 percent.
He appreciated the government’s initiative to introduce green buses and urged it to offer incentives to the private sector for replacing diesel and petrol powered vehicles with electric buses.
The FCCI President further said that although 32 government departments had been established to facilitate industrial and business activities, yet the hidden procedural hurdles were still creating difficulties for entrepreneurs.
He also suggested that instead of shutting down factories during Eid holidays, the system should be managed in a way that export orders remained unaffected.
The meeting also featured an interactive question-answer session attended by former FCCI President Rana Muhammad Sikandar Azam Khan, Chairman APTPMA Bao Muhammad Akram Malik, Executive Members Ayub Aslam Minhas and Shahid Majeed, former Vice President Hajji Muhammad Aslam Bhalli, Mian Abdul Waheed and Hajji Muhammad Abid.
Later, FCCI Vice President Engineer Asim Munir thanked the participants while President Farooq Yousaf Sheikh presented an honorary shield and chamber’s special lapel pin to Additional Director General EPA Punjab Dr Zafar Iqbal in recognition of his visit.
