The dilemma of environmental law and enforcement mechanism: A case study of Pakistan

Abstract

There is a significant vacuum that is widening between the critical need to tackle environmental change and the policies that are required to do it. The most important issues we need to ask ourselves right now are how these continuous changes in climate will have an effect on the rest of the globe and what we should do in response to them. Since the beginning of humankind, there has been an inseparable connection between people and the natural world. The nation of Pakistan is just one of the many countries who are working hard to create advancements in all of the relevant disciplines in order to ease the growing socioeconomic problems that we are facing. However, in addition to the expansion in infrastructure and the economy, our environment is also becoming more polluted, which has resulted in a number of significant and serious environmental disasters. Environmental pollution is one of the unintended consequences of this growth. It is impossible to ignore the devastating impact that pollution has on the ecosystem, but we may find solutions to these problems by enforcing laws and rules in an effective and accurate manner. Although the right to have a hygienic environment has been regarded as being fundamental within the Constitution of Pakistan and this not only strengthens the basic obligation to safeguard the environment, but it also expands the ability of individuals to seek legal remedy for environmental wrongs. The fact that Pakistan has been a signatory to a number of significant environmental treaties is additional evidence of the country's rising concerns pertaining to the environment. Although it is encouraging that these first measures have been taken, more action is required to ensure that the goals outlined in these treaties and regulations are enforced in an efficient manner. Unfortunately, Pakistan lacks an effective framework for the implementation of environmental legislation, which makes it tough for the government to satisfy international requirements for environmental preservation. This research sheds light on the evolution of environmental laws as well as the country's efforts to put such policies into practice. Although Pakistan has a broad variety of environmental regulations, the implementation of those laws reveals that there is an issue that prevents the country from reaching the goals it has set for itself. This research focuses primarily on two aspects of environmental protection: environmental laws and enforcement mechanisms in Pakistan. In order for this research to accomplish its goals, it will use a conservative critical approach. This research also focuses on the international framework for environmental protection and its implementation, as well as the several environmental treaties to which Pakistan is a member. At the closing of the study, some concluding notes about the environmental laws and regulations in Pakistan, their enforcement, and the present environmental condition along with some ideas and recommendations are included.