Pakistan’s minister Marium Aurangzeb blamed India for Lahore

Air pollution in Lahore reached record levels, leaving 14 million residents suffocated by a thick layer of smog that blanketed Pakistan’s second-largest city. The minister also blamed India for the “unprecedented” situation, saying that “strong winds” had carried pollutants from the neighboring country to Pakistan.

On Sunday, Lahore topped the list of cities with the most polluted air in the world for the second time. The day before, the air quality index in the city rose to a whopping 1067.

An AQI of zero to 50 is considered “good”; 51 and 100 “satisfactory”; 101 and 200 “moderate”; 201 and 300 “poor”; 301 and 400 “very bad”; 401 and 450 “heavy”; and above 450 “heavy plus”.

Due to record pollution, authorities in Lahore closed schools for a week starting Monday, and 50 percent of workers in public and private companies were asked to work from home as part of a “green quarantine.” plan.

Other measures include a ban on tuk-tuks equipped with polluting two-stroke engines; restaurants and food vendors cooking over open fires, and construction work.

Last month, schoolchildren across the city were banned from outdoor sports until at least January 2025 and school hours were adjusted to prevent them from traveling when pollution levels were at their highest.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Punjab’s senior provincial minister Marrium Aurangzeb called for talks with India to resolve the pollution problem, adding that authorities would start talks with New Delhi through Pakistan’s foreign ministry.

“This cannot be resolved without negotiations with India,” she added, urging residents of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, to avoid unnecessary travel, stay at home and keep doors and windows closed.

Raja Jehangir Anwar, another Punjab official, called stubble burning in India, a major source of air pollution, “the biggest headache”.

A decision on reopening schools in Lahore will be taken by November 9, when authorities will reassess the pollution situation.

Last week, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz called for a joint effort with India against smog, which she described as a common enemy of the two countries. According to her, this is “not a political, but a humanitarian issue.”

According to the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, pollution above levels considered safe by the World Health Organization shortens the life expectancy of Lahore residents by an average of 7.5 years.

According to UNICEF, nearly 600 million children in South Asia are exposed to high levels of air pollution, and half of childhood pneumonia deaths are linked to air pollution.

(Data from Reuters, AFP, PTI)