LAHORE:
For more than a decade, Lahore has choked under a thick blanket of smog and air pollution. But successive governments seem more focused on polishing their green credentials than making a real difference.
Continuing this trend, the newly formed Environment Protection Force aims to lead by example in a city where most commercial and private vehicles still run on petrol, with no proper emissions monitoring. Its solution? Patrolling the streets and conducting inspections in 25 gleaming hybrid cars—purchased at a staggering cost of Rs 250 million, funded under the World Bank Green Program.
To give the government the benefit of the doubt, some might call it a step in the right direction. But that argument quickly falls apart when most commuters in the city can barely afford an electric motorbike, let alone an eco-friendly car. The new force, however, will have access to 250 electric motorbikes, along with modern inspection equipment—including tablets and instruments for gas and water analysis—purchased for an additional Rs 300 million, funded by the provincial administration.
According to figures gathered by The Express Tribune, Lahore, Punjab’s capital, has 7.5 million registered vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, and taxis. An overwhelming 99% run on petrol, making them a major contributor to the city’s persistently unhealthy air quality. As of April 2, Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) ranges from 100 to 166, placing it in the ‘unhealthy’ category for much of the day. During the first two days of the month, PM2.5 levels varied between 60–90 µg/m³—more than four times the 24-hour safe limit set by the World Health Organization.
So, can the new environment protection force, with its fleet of hybrid cars, make a difference? Environmental experts say no. Even those familiar with vehicle mechanics see little benefit in adding 25 hybrid cars to the Environment Protection Force when the vast majority of vehicles on Lahore’s roads still run on petrol.
“If the government was serious about environmentally friendly transport, it should have gone for fully electric vehicles instead of hybrids, which still rely on fossil fuels,” said Sunil Sarfaraz Munj, who runs PakWheels, the country’s largest automotive website. “It’s like preaching to others while not practicing it yourself—hybrids still have an engine and require fuel,” he added. “If the government was serious about its ‘Go Green Go’ slogan, it should have committed to all-electric transport.”
Casting further doubt, Munj pointed out that if the aim was to cut emissions and set an example, the government could have saved money by opting for BYD’s entry-level Atto 3, a more affordable electric vehicle from the Chinese manufacturer.
Taking the auto expert’s advice into account, The Express Tribune conducted a market survey. The latest entrant to Pakistan’s electric vehicle market, BYD, has models priced between 9 million and 17 million rupees—well beyond reach for most. Independent financial experts calculate the median monthly salary in Pakistan at Rs 70,700, making EV ownership a distant dream for the average consumer. That salary also puts electric bikes—priced between Rs 140,000 and Rs 250,000—out of reach.
How deep is the Go Green promise?
Environmental experts argue that the government is pushing its ‘Go Green Go’ slogan without focusing on concrete actions.
For one, they say, the Environment Protection Force patrolling in hybrid vehicles will have little inspirational value if the average citizen can’t afford the prohibitively expensive eco-friendly alternatives. More critically, they point out that for Lahore to see any real improvement in air quality, the provincial administration needs to take multiple, simultaneous steps—improving urban transport, offering better connectivity, and providing incentives for the average commuter.
Right now, they note, the system falls far short of meeting the needs of a city of 14.8 million people. Take Lahore’s Metro-bus — a fleet of 60 buses covering just 27 kilometers from Gajju Matah to Shahdara. Experts argue this is nowhere near enough to convince commuters to abandon their personal transport. Likewise, the Orange Line Metro Train, spanning 27.1 kilometers with 26 stations, needs a carefully planned expansion to cover more routes across the city—something policymakers have yet to address. Without an effective public transport system, they cautioned, any other measures will do little to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads—making any meaningful reduction in emissions unlikely.
Inspirational value
When questioned about the costly purchase of hybrid vehicles for the newly formed Environment Protection Force, Punjab’s Environmental Protection Agency Secretary, Raja Jahangir Anwar, defended the decision. Speaking to The Express Tribune, he said that 250 electric motorcycles and 25 hybrid vehicles had been procured to inspect pollution-causing industrial units, factories, and brick kilns. “Since the province is moving toward zero emissions, it was essential to ensure that the vehicles used by the department were also environmentally friendly,” he added.
Environmental experts argue that without a significant shift in public transport, industrial regulation, and fuel quality, such measures will do little to control Lahore’s worsening air pollution. Despite the provincial government’s claims of progress toward net-zero emissions—and the establishment of a ‘smog war room’—Pakistan’s most populous province remains a major contributor to the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
While specific figures for Punjab are unavailable, its industrial output, vehicle emissions, and agricultural practices suggest it accounts for a significant share of the national total. Nowhere is this more evident than in the provincial capital, which, every winter for the past 15 years, has come to a grinding halt under a thick blanket of toxic smog—at times competing with New Delhi for the dubious title of the world’s most polluted city.
Pollution mix
According to a report by the Urban Unit of the Punjab Planning and Development Department, transportation accounts for 83% of Lahore’s air pollution. Within this sector, motorcycles, scooters, and auto-rickshaws—many of them using two-stroke engines—are among the worst offenders. Making matters worse, low-quality fuel is widely available, exacerbating vehicular emissions and further deteriorating air quality.
Industrial activity is another major contributor
Recent estimates suggest that factory emissions account for around 25% of Lahore’s total air pollution. Combined with the transport sector, these emissions fuel the hazardous smog that frequently blankets the city.
Climate Change Action Plan
A review of Punjab’s Climate Change Action Plan, unveiled last year, lays out ambitious targets: electric vehicle (EV) sales should reach 15% by 2030 and 20% by 2035. But experts caution that even if these targets are met, the overall impact on vehicular emissions is likely to be negligible.
Under the 2024 plan, the provincial government aims for 60% of its energy to come from renewable sources and for EVs to account for 30% of vehicles on the road by the end of the decade. Dawar Hameed Butt, an environmental specialist, remains deeply sceptical.
“While the renewable energy goal might reach 40-45% by 2030, the electric vehicle target is wildly unrealistic and may barely scrape 1%,” he said. The fundamental issue, Butt argued, is the lack of infrastructure. Charging networks remain inadequate, and with EV adoption currently minimal, he sees little chance of rapid expansion in the coming years.
Beyond electric cars, Punjab’s transport woes are exacerbated by the lack of efficient options. Sani e Zahra, an urban planner based in Lahore, draws comparisons with cities such as Bogotá and Beijing, which have successfully built integrated, sustainable public transport systems.
She urged policymakers to view public transport as a long-term investment rather than a tool for political gains. “Sustainable, well-planned transport solutions are crucial—not just for urban mobility but for improving quality of life,” Zahra said.
