Earlier, Punjab government said that smoke of stubble burning in Indian Punjab reached Pakistan and exacerbated smog issue. Punjab expressed its intension to pen letter to chief minister of Indian Punjab to address the chronic issue of smog.

Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister of Indian Punjab poked fun at CM Maryam Nawaz, in a video which was doing the rounds on social media, saying that Delhi alleges that Pakistan’s smoke reached there and Pakistan blamed Indian Punjab for rising smog.

“It seems Punjab’s smoke revolves in a circle,” Bhagwant Mann said.

In Indian Punjab and Haryana, the stubble burning is a significant issue as farmers burn the residue of the crops after the paddy harvest in October and November. This process releases large amounts of smoke which contributes significantly to air pollution that affects both countries.

Few days ago, addressing a ceremony, CM Maryam Nawaz emphasised the need to initiate smog diplomacy to address the chronic issue of smog. She hinted at writing letter to Indian Punjab CM to mitigate the hazardous impacts of the smog through collective action.

The analysts believe that there is need to initiate the joint effort to address the smog issue. So, collaboration between the two neighbouring countries is needed to mitigate the harmful impacts of smog.