ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has assured the Punjab government of taking up the issue of the smog caused by the burning of crops with India at the diplomatic level.

He was presiding over the special meeting of the Punjab Cabinet held in Lahore.

During the meeting, he was informed by Punjab Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi that the main reason for the spread of smog in Lahore is the burning of residues of crops in Indian Punjab.

The Prime Minister was told that the provincial government had so far paid back the inherited debt of six hundred and twenty nine billion rupees and had allocated additional funds of seventy six billion rupees for the agriculture sector.

The meeting was also informed about the progress on different projects including Southern part of Lahore Ring Road (SL-3), Gujranwala-Lahore-Sialkot Motorway and the newly constructed bridge at Shahdara in Lahore.

He appreciated the efforts of the Punjab government for the successful operations of the law enforcement agencies in the KACHA area.

The cabinet meeting was also briefed about the development initiatives in the villages and the initiatives for the promotion of cultural tourism.

The Prime Minister was briefed regarding the policy of issuing NOC in three days to double the number of nurses in Punjab and provide them with job opportunities abroad.