State Minister for Climate Change, Zartaj Gul, has announced a ban on the use of plastic bags in Islamabad from August 14, 2019.

Gul made this announcement on Monday while addressing a ceremony in the federal capital.

“Plastic bags will be banned in Islamabad from August 14”, she said.

The state minister, while praising Prime Minister Imran Khan, said that he is a visionary man whose focus is to minimize the effects of climate change in the country.

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She said the Billion Tree Tsunami was one of the many initiatives he took for the purpose.

Zartaj Gul said that Pakistan is ranked 7th in the list of countries affected by natural disasters, and the country needs to be more cautious towards the environment.

Last month, the minister had informed the National Assembly that the government was intending to slap a ban on plastic bags in the federal capital.

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She told that the ministry has distributed cotton bags among its officials, the parliamentarians, and the media personnel as an alternative to plastic bags. As much as 5000 cotton bags have been produced for distribution among the federal government employees.

Zartaj Gul added that these bags will also be distributed free of cost in Jummah and Itwaar bazaars along with other markets. The ministry is also planning to launch an awareness campaign on the hazards of single-use plastics.