Rawalpindi Authorities Launch Crackdown on Smog and Polluting Vehicles

Rawalpindi officials and traffic police have launched an intensive anti-smog campaign and vehicle crackdown to curb rising air pollution.

NationPulse Desk

Oct 16, 2026 · 5:18 PM 2 min read

Key takeaways

SPA Rawalpindi conducted 430 inspections and issued 65 warning notices for violations.

Traffic police launched a crackdown on smoke-emitting vehicles following orders from CTO Farhan Aslam.

Data indicates that smoke-emitting vehicles contribute between 40 and 83 percent of smog.

Polluting vehicles face heavy fines, impoundment, and entry bans until fitness certificates are issued.

The Suthra Punjab Agency in Rawalpindi stepped up citywide monitoring and public education efforts to address increasing air pollution and smog threats.

Following instructions from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, anti-smog outreach took place in Shakrial, Faizabad, Pirwadhai, Girja Road, and Commercial Market under the guidance of SPA Rawalpindi Managing Director Rana Sajid Safdar.

The department reported that its anti-littering team performed 430 checks across various locations and handed out 65 warnings after finding infractions.

Traders, shopkeepers, and residents received warnings that open garbage burning and littering in public spaces worsen air pollution, creating severe environmental and public health hazards.

Staff members also handed out educational flyers to residents at Commercial Market, encouraging adherence to sanitation rules, proper waste disposal, and the prevention of heavy smoke generation.

Representatives emphasized that managing smog requires cooperation from citizens, business owners, and commercial center managers alongside government action.

SPA Rawalpindi stated that it will maintain ongoing checks, outreach programs, and regulatory actions to lower pollution levels and encourage environmental health.

Simultaneously, traffic police initiated a major operation targeting vehicles releasing heavy smoke that worsens smog and environmental degradation.

A traffic police representative noted that Chief Traffic Officer Rawalpindi Farhan Aslam ordered the operation, leading to the formation of special inspection teams at city entry points, exit routes, and bus terminals.

CTO Aslam stated that heavily polluting vehicles will be barred from entering the city, subjected to steep fines, and impounded at police stations until obtaining fitness certificates. Trolleys lacking proper covers or tarpaulins, along with other loader vehicles scattering waste on roads, face strict enforcement.

Data referenced by traffic police indicates that vehicles emitting smoke account for 40 to 83 percent of smog, alongside harming the environment and raising accident risks.

CTO Aslam mentioned that the traffic police education unit is now active in informing the public about pollution risks through flyers and outreach at schools, private firms, government offices, and major roadways.

The CTO called on drivers to keep their vehicles well-maintained and follow traffic and environmental rules to help reduce smog and air pollution in Rawalpindi.

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