The Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) has written a letter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), asking it to take action against the elements involved in the dissemination of fake and unauthorized information about the quality of air on the media and social media.
The EPD has enforced the Punjab Environmental Protection Act 1997, and the EPD Minister Muhammad Rizwan informed the Lahore FIA Director of the same in a letter.
He explained that “it is an Act to provide protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement of the environment, for the prevention and control of pollution and promotion of sustainable development”.
Minister Rizwan said that some people are trying to ruin Pakistan’s image by reporting fake readings of the Air Quality Index (AQI) during the smog season, citing unauthorized sources in Lahore on social media instead of quoting information by the EPD, Punjab.
He said, “Fake/unauthorized data on air quality of Lahore or any city of Punjab is harming the international reputation of the government and creating fear among the citizens, which can’t be tolerated,” and urged the FIA to take action against any person/company issuing fake/unauthorized data on the internet under cyber laws.
