Dr. Fazana Shah, Director General, Pakistan Environment Protection Agency said that there was a complete ban on the use of plastic bags in Islamabad while other provinces were also following this practice to discourage the use of these bags as they were polluting environment and affecting health of people. She said this while addressing a seminar on “Plastic Free Islamabad organized by the ICT Administration under the initiative of Clean & Green Pakistan to sensitize the business community and other stakeholders on the importance of eliminating the use of plastic bags for a healthy environment. Muhammad Ahmed Waheed President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Ajmal Baloch President Anjuman-e-Tajran Pakistan participated as chief guests. Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President, Saif Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI, Khalid Chaudhry, Aftab Gujjar, Sheikh Owais, Zafar Iqbal, Aslam Khan, Owais Malik, representatives of markets associations and Pak-EPA officers attended the seminar.

Dr. Farzana Shah said that people should prefer cloth bags to save environment from further damages. She said that ban on plastic bags use in street markets and rural areas would also be implemented and seminars would be organized to sensitize the people of their harmful effects. She thanked Muhammad Ahmed and Ajmal Baloch for cooperating in this initiative. Dr. Muhammad Asif Raheem, Additional Deputy Commissioner Islamabad said that ban on plastic bags in Islamabad was going successfully, but areas including Barakahu, Sabzi Mandi, Tarnol, weekly bazaars and some rural areas were not complying with the ban and stressed that business community should cooperate in its implementation.

Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that ICCI had cooperated with Pak-EPA in coping with pollution in industrial areas of Islamabad and organized a seminar on the ban of plastic bags at Chamber House. He said that another awareness session on this issue in cooperation with Pak-EPA and ICT Administration would be organized in near future to sensitize business community on this important matter. Ajmal Baloch, President, Anjuman-e-Tajran Pakistan said that resistance was being faced on the introduction of any new law. However, he emphasized that instead of using strict tactics, better alternatives of plastic bags should be provided and registered cases against business community on this issue should be withdrawn.