Islamabad — The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has accused the federal government of failing to protect children after a joint study by the Ministry of National Health Services and UNICEF found alarmingly high blood lead levels among young children in high-risk areas across seven major cities. The report, cited by Dawn, says roughly four in 10 children aged 12–36 months in those areas carry dangerous concentrations of lead.
PTI central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram called the findings a national disgrace and demanded immediate, concrete measures. He urged strict enforcement of health and environmental laws, comprehensive nationwide screening and treatment programs, and accountability for officials and operators whose actions have allowed toxic exposures to continue.
Akram warned that lead exposure in early childhood can cause irreversible neurological damage, reduce IQ, stunt growth, and lead to long-term health problems. He stressed that there is no safe blood lead level for children and accused authorities of permitting industrial emissions, unregulated battery recycling, lead-based paints, and contaminated spices and cosmetics to contaminate communities.
The study flagged particularly severe contamination in Haripur and Hattar, where rates reached 88 percent, and warned that millions more children in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad could be at risk. International estimates cited by the report suggest that up to 80 percent of Pakistani children could be affected, with potential economic losses equivalent to roughly 6–8 percent of GDP from diminished cognitive capacity and health burdens.
PTI representatives described the crisis as the product of regulatory gaps, weak monitoring, and poor public awareness, saying it has damaged the government’s standing internationally and highlighted systemic failures in controlling industrial toxins and ensuring consumer safety.
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