Can city-diplomacy be a peace-building equivalent in relations? Aliya Harir, coordinator in South Asia to the Citizen Diplomacy International organization

From the time of their separation in 1947, India and Pakistan have been fighting each other as enemies over water resources, territories, and international alliances etc. 70 years after the partition, both the countries’ biggest cities today are fighting a common enemy i.e. Smog.

New Delhi (the capital city of India) is the most polluted city of India. It is closer to the state (province) of in India. While (the second most populous city of Pakistan) is the provincial capital of the province of Punjab in Pakistan.1 With the start of fall every year, the level of pollution gets worse in both the cities because, in the month of October and November, farmers in West Punjab (Pakistan), (India) and (India) set their paddy fields on fire after harvesting to burn crop stubble to clear their fields. Other causes include vehicle and industrial emissions, construction, seasonal dust. All of these, deteriorate in air quality in both the countries. With the presence of alarmingly high level of smog-causing pollutants in the air, there have been respiratory problems, burning of eyes, throat irritation, and other pulmonary issues. More than 500,000 Indians and Pakistani die every year due to air pollution.

In the current times, local authorities such as cities, provinces, regions, municipalities, or states are excessively and significantly engaged globally. Among them, cities present the most interesting example. And I personally had the opportunity to witness it through my participation in various programs under the fifth edition of the ‘Cities Defending Human Rights’ project from September 25 – October 07 in Barcelona, that how numerous Catalan cities work together on the front line in the defence and promotion of human rights. As a human rights defender in my community, I also have the pleasure of being associated with an organization (JAD Foundation) as a volunteer that has entered into a partnership with Barcelona Provincial Council and District Government Pakistan, bringing the people of two international closer for cooperation on disaster management in improving governance with an overarching aim of building a culture of human rights.

When I returned from Barcelona and tried to contextualize my learning locally, in the recent turn of events, I reckon how having a cleaner and safe environment has remained a neglected basic human right in both countries. In the last many years, India and Pakistan none of the environmental cooperation agreements that India and Pakistan have signed addresses this annual concern of Smog. Both countries at the time of this severe air quality crisis still blame each other for spoiling the air and sending smog across the border.

The air pollution in both the countries is severe and it is inconceivable for one country to find its own specific solution to address the issues. Perhaps with this realization, last week, the Governor of (West) Punjab wrote a letter to the Governor of (East) Punjab inviting him to enter a regional cooperation arrangement to jointly tackle the issue of smog and environmental pollution. With no precedents (in the modern state system), it is the first time in India-Pakistan relations that Lahore has taken the initiative of asserting its role at the backdrop of new urban dynamics.

While it could totally be argued that governing foreign affairs between India and Pakistan is primarily a task of the national governments in both the countries, it is imperative that the Lahore and Delhi city authorities also work together for environmental