'Cloud of poison’: What’s behind Pakistan’s pollution crisis?

Itchy throats, relentless coughing, and burning eyes—these are now daily complaints on the streets of major cities in Pakistan’s Punjab province, where suffocating smog has reached “apocalyptic” levels. As per Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, conditions in Multan reached shocking levels as the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded 2,000 last week, the worst level on the planet. Lahore, the provincial capital, was no less better as the AQI surged to 1,900 —over 120 times higher than the limit defined by the World Health Organization.

“It’s become a physical ordeal just to go outdoors,” said Jawaria, a 28-year-old student in Lahore, speaking to The Guardian. So, what’s behind this alarming pollution spike in Pakistan, and how are officials responding? Here’s a closer look. The smog situation which is worsening day by day, has led authorities to place many cities in Pakistan’s Punjab under ‘forced lockdowns’, reported _ANI.

_ Lahore, the state capital of 14 million people, has been blanketed in a thick layer of smoke and fog for days. As a result, the city witnessed widespread road closures due to low visibility, after reports of multiple accidents were reported. Earlier, a major incident on GT Road near Kalashah Kako saw nine people injured when a van rammed into a stationary truck, its driver unable to see the parked vehicle through the dense haze.

Motorbike rickshaws, heavy vehicles and motorbike parking were banned from “hotspot” areas - part of a so.