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Weather
Fog: Flights affected, motorways closed, Lahore first in air pollution
Lahore remained the most polluted city with AQI 1,045
Lahore: Many districts of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have come under heavy fog and smog.
Due to the bad air quality, Lahore remained the most polluted city in the world and the country in the early morning, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) was at 1,045, but the number of particulate meters was recorded at 910 in Lahore at 8:00am.
Meanwhile, Multan ranked second in air pollution where 806 particulate meters were recorded.
On the other hand, due to heavy fog and smog, Motorway M4 from Pindi Bhattian to Abdul Hakim, and from Abdul Hakim to Sher Shah is also closed. Motorway M5 Sher Shah to Sukkur and Sialkot Motorways are also closed to traffic.
Apart from this, more than 10 flights were also affected due to heavy fog and passengers had to face problems.
Weather
Lahore smog visible from space also
Satellite images from the US space agency NASA showed so much smog over Lahore and Multan this week
Smog has become so high in Pakistan that it has started to be visible from space. Due to heavy fog and smog, flight operations have been affected while motorways have also been closed for traffic at various places.
The deep and hazardous smog that has spread over eastern Pakistan and northern India since last month can also be clearly seen in satellite images.
Satellite images from the US space agency NASA showed so much smog over Lahore and Multan this week that roads and buildings were engulfed in it, and only white fog was visible in the images.
In the report of the American broadcaster CNN, a comparative analysis of two images of the same area was presented by NASA on August 31, and November 10 by tagging the location of Lahore and Delhi by satellite.
In the first satellite image shared by NASA, greenery is clearly visible on the ground in the areas of Delhi and Lahore, while in the second image, only fog is visible.
According to the United Nations, the health of 1.1 million children under the age of 5 in the most affected areas of Pakistan is at risk.
Most of the districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained in the grip of smog on Monday as well. Lahore was among the most polluted cities in the world and the country at night.
Four flights to Faisalabad and Multan were canceled, and two flights in Islamabad and flights to Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad landed at eight alternative airports as flight operations to Lahore were affected by late-night fog.
A private airline flight from Karachi to Lahore and a private air flight from Dubai to Lahore also landed in Islamabad.
Motorway M4 from Pindi Bhatian to Abdul Hakeem Interchange, M5 from Sher Shah to Zahir Peer and Rohri have been closed for all traffic due to fog while Sialkot Motorway has also been closed due to fog and smog.
On the other hand, the decision to close shops, shopping malls, and markets in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala at 8:00pm could not be fully implemented. Shops were sealed as action was taken against those who continued business did not follow the SOPs.
The government has also banned outdoor dining at restaurants, outdoor games, exhibitions, and events from November 11 to November 17. Medical stores, laboratories, petrol pumps and grocery stores will be exempted from the ban.
Business
IMF demands spending cuts or more taxes of $189bn
Tax collection through TDS is only Rs1.7 million
Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday informed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that during the first quarter of the current financial year, the tax machinery collected Rs11 billion from retailers, wholesalers, and distributors as high-level talks headed by the finance minister began.
However, expectations regarding the Tajir Dost Scheme (TDS) have not been met and the tax collection through this particular scheme is only Rs1.7 million as per the latest available data against the target set for the first quarter was Rs10 billion.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb started the first phase of talks with the IMF delegation on Monday evening.
Secretary Finance Imdadullah Bosal and Chairman Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) Rashid Mahmood Langryal started the first session with the IMF delegation which will be staying in Islamabad from November 11 to 15, 2024.
It is to see how the IMF responds but it seems that it will be difficult for the government to satisfy the IMF.
The IMF is suggesting two options: either present a mini-budget to cover the Rs189 billion revenue shortfall the FBR incurred in the first four months or a workable plan to reduce unrestricted costs should be developed.
A top official said TDS was meant to bring only retailers and wholesalers into the tax net but its target has been achieved as the FBR has collected an additional Rs11 billion from them through general taxation in the first quarter.
Under Sections 236G and 236H of the Income Tax Act, the FBR increased the tax rate by nearly 10 times on sales of products to non-filers, due to which retailers and wholesalers preferred to join the tax net under strict measures and fear. And deposit Rs11 billion as additional tax by September 30, 2024.
The number of return filers has also increased significantly, which has accelerated the process of documenting the economy in the country.
The IMF was briefed by top officials of the Power Division and the possibility of raising fixed rates for on-grid with reduced solar power systems. During the ongoing negotiations with the IMF, it may come up with stronger proposals.
Pakistan and the IMF began talks on Monday as a delegation of the fund's staff came to negotiate a middle-of-the-road proposal to avoid deviations from the fiscal and external frameworks set for the fiscal year.
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