Pak-EPA enforces strict action on smoky vehicles

December 01, 2025 (MLN): Islamabad authorities have begun issuing heavy fines and seizing vehicles emitting excessive smoke as the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) ramps up roadside enforcement to counter the capital’s worsening winter air pollution.

Pak-EPA teams are conducting regular inspections on major roads, intersections and other high-traffic routes targeting vehicles releasing visible black fumes particularly diesel buses, trucks, wagons, Qingqi rickshaws and motorcycles.

Officials confirmed that violators are now being penalised on the spot, with fines and immediate confiscation in severe cases, under federal environmental laws governing vehicular emissions, according to the press release.

The stepped-up crackdown follows what officials describe as an alarming rise in poorly maintained vehicles operating without emissions control contributing to deteriorating air quality and recurring smog episodes across the capital.

Temperature inversions common in winter are trapping pollutants close to the ground, intensifying health risks for residents.

Pak-EPA Director-General Nazia Zaib Ali said vehicular emissions remain a major source of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons pollutants that degrade air quality, reduce visibility and contribute to smog.

She warned that vehicles releasing smoke beyond permissible limits constitute an environmental offence.

“Smoke-emitting vehicles will not be allowed to operate in Islamabad under any circumstances,” she said, calling the situation a “public health emergency.”

She said children, the elderly and people with respiratory or cardiac illnesses face acute risks from prolonged exposure to toxic emissions.

Medical specialists report rising cases of chronic cough, asthma attacks, irritated eyes, allergies and respiratory distress as pollution increases.

Long-term exposure to PM2.5 capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and entering the bloodstream is linked to chronic respiratory disease, COPD, heart complications, stroke and premature death.

Public health data has also associated vehicular pollution with higher rates of bronchitis, pneumonia and certain cancers.

Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, said many citizens underestimate the danger.

“The smoke coming from a single vehicle affects hundreds of people around it. Every plume of black smoke is a toxic cloud carrying disease,” he said.

He urged residents of Islamabad and nearby rural areas to have their vehicles tested at Pak-EPA-approved emission testing laboratories.

Vehicles operating without valid emission certificates, he warned, will face fines, confiscation or both.

He also advised regular engine maintenance timely oil changes and use of quality fuel noting these measures reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency.

Officials stressed that reducing pollution requires public cooperation and cannot rely solely on enforcement teams.

Ms. Ali urged citizens to maintain smoke-free vehicles, cooperate during inspections and report polluting vehicles. “Cleaner air is a shared national responsibility,” she said.

Shaikh echoed that view, saying compliance with emission standards and support for Pak-EPA’s enforcement actions are essential to reducing pollution and protecting public health.

“When people maintain their vehicles and follow environmental laws, they are safeguarding not just their own families but the entire community,” he said.

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