To protect the environment, the Sindh government has decided to completely ban the making, selling, and use of plastic bags across the province, including in Karachi.

The Sindh Environment Department said the ban will officially begin after the provincial cabinet gives its final approval on April 15.

They also warned that anyone who breaks this rule will face legal consequences. This could include being fined, arrested, or taken to court.

The department explained that plastic bags are one of the main causes of pollution. They pollute the oceans and clog sewage systems, leading to serious environmental problems.

Earlier, on World Plastic Bag Free Day, Senator Sherry Rehman, who heads the Senate committee on climate change, said that Pakistan uses about 55 billion plastic bags every year, and that number is growing by 15 percent each year.

She asked people to think about the harmful effects of using plastic bags without care.

Senator Rehman also said that plastic bags are a big part of Pakistan’s pollution problem. They cause water to collect in places, create litter, and harm people, animals, and sea life.

She added that plastic bags take hundreds of years to break down and are making it harder to manage waste in cities, both large and small.