Pakistan’s largest province to ban plastic production, trade from June 5

ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s largest Punjab province has decided to ban production, distribution and trade of plastic from June 5, the Punjab information ministry said on Sunday, citing plastic as a source of cancer and other fatal diseases.
The carbon-intensive production of plastics has been on pace to emit more greenhouse gases than coal-fired power plants across the world, with the global plastic industry releasing at least 232 million tons of these gases annually.
These greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere of the earth and in turn contribute to global warming and exacerbate climate change, leading to devastating impacts around the world.
To address this cause of environmental pollution, Pakistan’s Punjab province has made preparations to ban the production, distribution and sale of plastic bags.
“A crackdown will also be launched against factories manufacturing illegal plastic products from June 5,” the Punjab information ministry said in a statement.
“Hotels, restaurants and other food joints will be strictly prohibited from giving food to customers in plastic bags.” 
The use of plastics is leading to cancer and other deadly diseases among the masses and is increasing environmental pollution, according to the ministry. Those violating the ban will face action and heavy fines will be imposed on them.
Pakistan, which ranks among countries most vulnerable to climate change, has witnessed untimely downpours, deadly floods, heatwaves and droughts in recent years, which experts have blamed on climate change.
The South Asian country of more than 241 million people this week witnessed an intense heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 52 degrees Celsius (126°F) in parts of the country.