Pakistan has declared a health emergency as Lahore's air quality hits alarming levels, affecting millions with respiratory issues. Authorities have implemented urgent measures, including school closures,

With smog intensity escalating in Lahore at the end of October, affecting its 13 million residents, the Punjab government imposed a “green lockdown” and set up a “smog war room.”

A thick smog, visible from space, has engulfed Pakistan's Punjab province, leading to record-high pollution levels and prompting strict government measures. Outdoor activities are banned, and shops face early closures as cities like Lahore battle hazardous air quality.

The authorities have also imposed a "health emergency" in Lahore and Multan districts to combat dense smog blanketing the province of about 130 million population for the last few weeks

One doctor compared breathing in Pakistan's toxic air to smoking "dozens of cigarettes a day" as Lahore is the world's most polluted city this week.

Punjab province in Pakistan, especially Multan, faced extreme smog, with AQI levels surpassing hazardous thresholds. (Photo: Reuters)

Authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab have declared a health emergency in the country's east due to increasing smog as more than 2 million people complained of respiratory illnesses. All educational institutions have been shut,

The crisis has prompted a flurry of responses from local authorities, as the country grapples with its most severe air pollution event in years. According to several Pakistani media reports the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority had declared smog a “calamity” and instituted emergency measures.

Lahore recorded the worst case of air pollution in the world, with the AQI nearing 1600 on Friday. Pakistan Air pollution: As several states in northern India continue to battle worsening air pollution,