Pakistan Ranked 2nd Among Countries With the Highest Air Pollution Level

Pakistan is one of the countries that will be hit the hardest by climate change and we are already seeing some of its impact with smog becoming a regular feature in Punjab.

Air pollution is the leading cause of deaths in the country and second highest in the world, according to a report called “State of Global Air”, by the US-based Health Effects Institute and the University of British Columbia.

According to that report, over 52% of the households in the country have been exposed to air pollution which has caused the deaths of an estimated 128,000 people in the country.

Earlier this year, Former Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Nisar A Memon had said:

It is a challenge to our political leadership to address: estimated 135,000 deaths per year attributed to ambient air pollution – the leading cause of sickness and deaths in Pakistan.

The report has listed China and India with the highest mortality rate due to air pollution, with Pakistan having the dubious honor of being second. India has the highest number of cities in the list of twenty most polluted cities in the world and Pakistan is joint-second with China with two cities in the list, Faisalabad, and Lahore.

Nisar A Memon said:

The incumbent government which has priority of economic revival has no option but to develop technical capacity and capability to beat ambient pollution since they are under constitutional oath to provide fundamental human rights to its citizens.


  • PK cannot even be in the world top 10 simply by virtue of its small industrial, economic base. Biggest polluter economies by virtue of hydrocarbon usage and industrial base when compared to PK are US, RU, Brazil, CH, IN, KSA, IR… etc. Why promote irresponsible reporting!?

    • Rightly said even if we cut all of our emissions roughly 0.78% of the global emissions nothing will change until or unless our neighbors India and China cut their emissions 16% and 8% of global emssions. As well as massive crop burning in Indian Punjab in winters which can be seen even in satellite images in winter

  • Pollution is because of uncontrolled population in the subcontinent. No govt. Or politician dare to raise this matter and make laws

  • We will be installing PM 2.5 sensors in Faisalabad next month and hopefully everyone will be able to see the pollution index along with the concentration online.


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