56 out of 59 cosmetics samples included hazardous mercury ratios: Zartaj Gul

ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP):State Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Thursday said the ministry of climate change collected 59 samples of local and international cosmetic items where 56 contained hazardous mercury share in the composition of makeup goods.
She was deliberating her views on the Final Workshops for Validation of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Inventories and Development of Action Plans for POPs management in Pakistan, organized by the ministry in collaboration with UN Environment here.

“The ministry will take up this matter and issue notices to the companies for producing such harmful beauty creams and items explicitly posing serious health complications and even Cancer,” she said.
Zartaj said the cosmetic companies were jeopardizing female particularly young girls’ health as their cheap and low quality products were mercury intensive.
It was against the women human rights as they claimed to enhance fairness of female complexion and just for the sake of money they were discriminating women with dark skin tone which was unacceptable, she added.
The ministry would take the responsibility of creating awareness among the women folk against these mercury intensive beauty products which were humiliating them and putting their lives at risk, she said.
Some experts, the minister said today mentioned that since 2006 Pakistan failed to meet POPs control set targets which was true. We had academicians and experts since then but the reason we failed was that we had no political will and leadership at government level, she added.
“I come to know that once dirty POPs enter into the environment they remain in the atmosphere for a long time and are difficult to remove,” she maintained.
“I guarantee the participants of this workshop on behalf of the ministry that we are on to the things including your suggestions and targets proposed on POPs control. We will not pass bucks on the provinces for implementation rather will take lead role as being the focal point the ministry is responsible for the compliance of global conventions,” the minister vowed.
“It’s a new Pakistan with a fresh face before the world. Our country is now restructuring and rebuilding itself. Prime Minister Imran Khan is now telling the world that it’s the right time for investment in our country,” she said.
The minister expressed that there were comprehensive and well formulated policies but had no implementation.
“We are going to meet the POPs targets and all other goals set for the country. We will assist the experts and academia involved in the process as all stakeholders are on same page,” Zartak Gul said.