"\u003chtml xmlns:o=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office\"\r\nxmlns:w=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word\"\r\nxmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40\"\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003chead\u003e\r\n\u003cmeta http-equiv=Content-Type content=\"text/html; charset=windows-1252\"\u003e\r\n\u003cmeta name=ProgId content=Word.Document\u003e\r\n\u003cmeta name=Generator content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"\u003e\r\n\u003cmeta name=Originator content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"\u003e\r\n\u003clink rel=File-List href=\"2021J1_files/filelist.xml\"\u003e\r\n\u003ctitle\u003eLEGISLATIVE MEASURE ON POPs\u003c/title\u003e\r\n\u003c!--[if gte mso 9]\u003e\u003cxml\u003e\r\n \u003co:DocumentProperties\u003e\r\n  \u003co:Author\u003eUser\u003c/o:Author\u003e\r\n  \u003co:Template\u003eNormal\u003c/o:Template\u003e\r\n  \u003co:LastAuthor\u003eUser\u003c/o:LastAuthor\u003e\r\n  \u003co:Revision\u003e2\u003c/o:Revision\u003e\r\n  \u003co:TotalTime\u003e0\u003c/o:TotalTime\u003e\r\n  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Section1\r\n\t{size:8.5in 11.0in;\r\n\tmargin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;\r\n\tmso-header-margin:.5in;\r\n\tmso-footer-margin:.5in;\r\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\r\ndiv.Section1\r\n\t{page:Section1;}\r\n--\u003e\r\n\u003c/style\u003e\r\n\u003c!--[if gte mso 10]\u003e\r\n\u003cstyle\u003e\r\n /* Style Definitions */\r\n table.MsoNormalTable\r\n\t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\r\n\tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\r\n\tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\r\n\tmso-style-noshow:yes;\r\n\tmso-style-parent:\"\";\r\n\tmso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;\r\n\tmso-para-margin:0in;\r\n\tmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;\r\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\r\n\tfont-size:10.0pt;\r\n\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\r\n\tmso-ansi-language:#0400;\r\n\tmso-fareast-language:#0400;\r\n\tmso-bidi-language:#0400;}\r\n\u003c/style\u003e\r\n\u003c![endif]--\u003e\r\n\u003c/head\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cbody lang=EN-US style=\u0027tab-interval:.5in;text-justify-trim:punctuation\u0027\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cdiv class=Section1\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal align=center style=\u0027margin-bottom:.1in;text-align:center;\r\nmso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;mso-layout-grid-align:none;\r\ntext-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003eLEGISLATIVE MEASURE\r\nON POPs\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal align=center style=\u0027text-align:center;mso-pagination:none;\r\npage-break-after:avoid;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003eBy\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal align=center style=\u0027margin-bottom:.1in;text-align:center;\r\nmso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;mso-layout-grid-align:none;\r\ntext-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003eMuhammad Yasin Hatif,\r\n\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal align=center style=\u0027margin-bottom:.1in;text-align:center;\r\nmso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;mso-layout-grid-align:none;\r\ntext-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003eLL.M. (London)\r\nAdvocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:.1in;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003ePersistent Organic Pollutants (\u003cb\u003ePOPs\u003c/b\u003e)\r\nare hazardous chemicals\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e which persist in the environment and are\r\nsources of diseases. They are group of chemicals which are very toxic and can\r\nlead to negative health \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.1pt\u0027\u003eeffects both\r\nin male and females\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e causing endocrine disruption\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e,\r\ncancer, birth defects, affecting reproductive system and synergistic effects on\r\nthem at large. People and animals are exposed to POPs mostly through their diet\r\nas they accumulate\u003csup\u003e4\u003c/sup\u003e in the fatty tissues which don\u0027t degrade \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003equickly over the time and these POPs travel vast\r\ndistances via air and water.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:.1in;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003eTo restrict the production, storage,\r\nusage and improper disposal of the POPs, the international community conducted\r\nthe Stockholm Convention\u003csup\u003e5\u003c/sup\u003e on 22 May 2001 which was entered into\r\nforce on 17 May 2004 (the \u0026quot;\u003cb\u003eStockholm Convention\u003c/b\u003e\u0026quot;).\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003ePOPs exert negative effects\u003csup\u003e6\u003c/sup\u003e\r\non the environment through the processes of long range transport,\r\nbioaccumulation and bio magnification and over 90% of exposure comes from\r\nanimal product foods due to its bioaccumulation in the fat tissues.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003eInitially the Stockholm Convention\r\nrecognized only twelve POPs which were called as \u0026quot;Dirty Dozen\u0026quot; for\r\ntheir adverse effects on human health and the environment like Aldrin,\r\nChlordane, Dieldrin, Dioxins Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), etc. but\r\nsubsequently this list was updated with further addition in it counting to 26\r\nin numbers\u003csup\u003e7\u003c/sup\u003e in different period of the years.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003ePOPs pose particular threat to the human\r\nbeing due to consumption of contaminated marine mammal\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e species in\r\ntraditional diets. The Stockholm Convention requires parties to take measures\r\nto eliminate or reduce the release of POPs in the environment. In the\r\nAsia-Pacific Region POPs can easily cross national boundaries, from the\r\ndeveloped countries despite international restriction under Basel and Stockholm\r\nConvention, which has caused the extensive use of toxic/ hazardous substances\r\nin these countries which really is a challenging issue requiring evidence-based\r\npolicymaking and stringent legislation there. More consistent and integrated\r\napproach could strengthen national, regional and sub-regional control of trans\r\nboundary movements and transportation of POPs by effective monitoring, sound\r\nmanagement and stern action.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003eThe Stockholm Convention was based on two\r\nearlier international treaties i.e. the Basel Convention in 1989 on the control\r\nof Trans boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal and secondly\r\nthe Rotterdam Convention in 1998 on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for\r\ncertain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in international trade with broader\r\nscope to conserve humans and environment from being exposed to adverse effects\r\nof hazardous chemicals and wastes. Keeping in view these conventions in mind\r\nthe United Nations Environment Program Governing Council in the year 1997\r\nestablished an intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop a legal\r\nbinding international agreement on POPs and Unintentional Production of POPs\r\n(UPOPs) which led to the adoption of Stockholm Convention. The earlier two\r\nConventions are still in field with addition of Stockholm Convention which addresses\r\nto control the production, usage, trade, stockpiles and release of POPs with\r\ncertain restrictions and exceptions to them.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003eIn order to ensure the coherent and\r\neffective control of POPs, the Stockholm Convention\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e adopted the\r\nPrecautionary approach set forth in Article 1 of the Convention which was\r\npreviously adopted in Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and\r\nDevelopment to protect human health and environment. The Convention requires\r\nparties to develop respective national legal framework in consonance with the\r\nConvention\u0027s objectives.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003eAlthough Pakistan has ratified the\r\nStockholm Convention but after 18th Amendment the subject of Environment was\r\ndevolved upon the Provinces to promulgate respective laws in consonance with\r\nthe constitutional and legislative requirements and further to give effect to\r\nthe international commitments. The existing legislation, in current scenario,\r\nrequires robust regulatory measures to make policies in context to Convention\u0027s\r\nobjectives.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003ePakistan has to design, establish and\r\nimplement effective and efficient legal framework that will ensure the\r\nenvironmentally sound management of the POPs. The existing legal and\r\ninstitutional framework for chemical management is not compatible with the\r\ninternational regulatory measures so required under the Stockholm Convention.\r\nLegislation governing the remediation of land and water on contaminated sites,\r\nwhich addresses POPs, is also missing amidst the legislative measures which are\r\nvital for the cleaning up of sites affected by POPs as a consequent of\r\npollution causing activity.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003ePOPs released into the environment in\r\nshape of pesticides for plant protection efforts, usage in shape of oils, as\r\ndielectric and cooling fluids in capacitors and transformers, for wood\r\npreservation etc. with chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and\r\npentachlorophenol which either spills or evaporate in the environment.\r\nAlthough, in agricultural sector, \u0026quot;The Agricultural Pesticides Ordinance\r\n1971 (the Agricultural Ordinance) in Punjab, which was amended subsequently in\r\nother provinces too, is over there which regulate the import, manufacture,\r\nformulation, sale, distribution and use of pesticides with permission in shape\r\nof license but such Agricultural legislation neither speaks about the handling\r\nof POPs in the country nor the same apply to pesticides that are consider to be\r\nPOPs. Such legislation does not include the assessment criteria of risks to\r\nhuman health and the environment that are presented by specific pesticides.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003eWastes containing POPs are regarded as\r\nhazardous wastes including pesticides with specific composition. Sections 13\r\nand 14 of the \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.1pt\u0027\u003ePunjab Environmental\r\nProtection Act, 1997 (Amended in 2012) restrict the import of hazardous waste\r\ninto the province except with the permission to generate, collect, consign,\r\ntransport, treat, dispose of, store, handle or import under a license from the\r\ncompetent authority. The definition provided under the aforesaid Act ousts the\r\nPOPs in category of Pesticides as defined in the Agricultural Pesticides\r\nOrdinance, 1971 (II of 1971). Under Stockholm Convention the purpose of\r\nhazardous waste legislation was to protect human health and the environment\r\nfrom the risk of adverse impacts due to improper \u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:\r\n.2pt\u0027\u003emanagement of wastes.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003ePakistan has not developed plan to\r\ncompile national inventory of all chemicals yet or even has not adopted UN\u0027s\r\nGlobally Harmonized System (\u003cb\u003eGHS\u003c/b\u003e) of classification and labeling of\r\nchemicals inside the country which system is the internationally agreed-upon\r\nstandards managed by the United Nations. National chemicals and hazardous waste\r\npolicy is a dream in the country along with its implementation plan. Although\r\nPakistan aims to promulgate legislation to control chemicals being imported\r\ninto and exported outside the country but still a potential work is missing to\r\nlegislate on policy, regulations and on an Act to control the hazardous\r\nsubstances.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003eThe enactment process in Pakistan\r\nrequires priority actions under an appropriate legal and regulatory framework\r\nin order to address the POPs which is missing in the national environment\r\nagenda to meet the requirements of Stockholm Convention.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp class=MsoNormal style=\u0027margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:\r\n.2in;mso-pagination:none;page-break-after:avoid;tab-stops:.5in;mso-layout-grid-align:\r\nnone;text-autospace:none\u0027\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0027letter-spacing:.2pt\u0027\u003e\u003cspan\r\nstyle=\u0027mso-tab-count:1\u0027\u003e       \u003c/span\u003e*The writer is an environmental lawyer\r\nand activist and the above analysis in the article reflects personal views of\r\nthe author onl\u003co:p\u003e\u003c/o:p\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003c/div\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003c/body\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003c/html\u003e\r\n"