Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday launched the Clean Green Pakistan Index (CGPI) as part of his government's efforts to curb pollution but rued that pollution levels in the Pakistani city of Lahore were as bad as in the Indian capital, New Delhi.

In the initial phase of the CGPI, 19 cities, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, and Bahawalpur have been selected to compete on certain issues of public interest.

The 19 cities will be judged on addressing issues such as safe drinking water, solid waste management, liquid waste management, city beautification, cleanliness of streets, the usability of parks, tree plantation, total sanitation/hygiene, and community participation, Dawn News reported.

In his address, Khan regretted that over the past decade, Lahore had lost about 70 percent of its tree cover as the city became an urban center.

He also noted that pollution levels in Lahore had increaseddrastically and now poses a danger to its residents because no measures weretaken to curb pollution and preserve the environment.

"The air in Lahore is not breathable and the conditionsof the city are hazardous for both the old and young."

He said that air pollution in Lahore has reached the worst possible extent, terming it "a silent murder", Geo News quoted him as saying.

"We do not even know how many people have been affectedby it. We used to think that Delhi was the most polluted city" and ruedthat Lahore has also reached a similar level, he said.

New Delhi was recently in the news globally due to the thicksmog that enveloped the Indian capital for days, mostly due to stubble burningby farmers in surrounding states like Punjab and Haryana.

He said that this was because "no one thought what wehad to do." The premier said that no government can make the country cleanand green alone as he appealed to the youth to also become a part of the campaign."We do not value this Pakistan and when wedo then Pakistan will look green, he added.