The streets of Lahore are choking under a toxic blanket of smog , with air quality reaching unprecedented hazardous levels, putting the city's 14 million residents in peril. Smog stings eyes and burns throats, and for many, the only refuge is staying indoors, though even that offers little relief. With air purifiers a luxury few can afford, people like Rafia Iqbal, a primary school teacher, are facing a growing health crisis, The Express Tribune reported.
Also Read: Pakistan blames India for worsening smog in Lahore as air quality index hits record high "The children are constantly coughing, they have constant allergies," she said. "In schools, we saw that most of the children were falling sick." The pollution crisis has grown so severe that the Punjab provincial government, which includes Lahore, has temporarily closed schools until November 17 to minimise children's exposure, particularly during their morning commutes when the pollution is most concentrated.
However, for residents like Muhammad Safdar, a 41-year-old advertising professional, life has become nearly impossible. "We cannot move around, we cannot go outside, we can do nothing at all," he said. Lahore regularly ranks among the world's most polluted cities, and this month, the city has exceeded hazardous levels on the Air Quality Index (AQI), with values often soaring above 1,000.
In Multan, about 350 kilometres away, AQI levels passed a staggering 2,000 — a height that left many residents in disbelief. The sev.