Environmental Development in Pakistan

In the midst of political and social upheaval, environmental concerns take a backseat in Pakistan. The people of Pakistan find pride in following western trends when it comes to art, fashion, music and science, even if it involves murdering our value system. However, when it comes to environment, health, education and discipline, we prefer to stick to our old ignorant ways.
I always believed that Pakistan could never truly progress in these sectors due to the attitude of its leaders and general public alike. However, I was pleasantly surprised during my visit to the colonies of Fauji Fertilizer Company, Goth Machhi and Engro Fertilizer Limited, Daharki. The organization and discipline ensured by the colony authorities was remarkable. Traffic rules were religiously obeyed and it was perfectly safe for a bunch of girls to go for a stroll at night. I never imagined I would live to see the day when Pakistani people would achieve these two things, let alone find them presently existing in some corner of this massive country.
Nevertheless, it was not the discipline and security offered there that impressed me the most. Being an environmentalist myself, it was their concern for the environment that filled my heart with utter joy. A simple example is their attitude towards the use of plastic. Fauji Fertilizer Company has banned the use of plastic bags and replaced their utility with paper bags. Traditional polythene bags in common use all over Pakistan is non-biodegradable. As a result, it threatens to stay in the environment for a long time after its disposal. However, paper bags being made from tree pulp is an organic medium, which is both environmentally friendly and economical to produce. On the other hand, Engro Fertilizer Limited has gone a step further and introduced the use of oxo-biodegradable plastic bags, which are both recyclable as well as environmentally friendly on disposal.
The people working for and living in these organizations are just as Pakistani