Pakistan chokes on deadly smog while Maryam Nawaz spends time in Geneva

Smog has engulfed Pakistan’s Punjab province as the Air Quality Index (AQI) has soared to unprecedented levels. Health authorities report that over 40,000 people have sought treatment for respiratory issues, while UNICEF warns that 11 million children are at severe health risk due to the intensifying air pollution.

Record Pollution Levels in Punjab, Pakistan

Record-breaking smog has choked the province, particularly in Lahore and Multan, where AQI levels have reached staggering highs. According to Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, Lahore’s AQI has consistently exceeded 1,000, while Multan’s AQI recently surpassed 2,000, marking Lahore among the world’s most polluted cities.

Lahore smog

Lahore has been under a thick blanket of smog for several weeks and has witnessed widespread road closures due to low visibility, which has resulted in road accidents. As of November 12, 2024, Lahore was the most polluted city in the world, with an AQI reported at 788.

The issue of smog recurs every winter, yet authorities routinely downplay the gravity of this problem and disregard the issue once the weather shifts.

Multan smog

In Multan, conditions have reached what experts describe as ‘apocalyptic’ levels, with the AQI exceeding 2,000 on Friday, November 8, 2024. The concentration of PM2.5—an extremely hazardous particulate matter associated with severe respiratory and cardiovascular conditions—was measured at 947 micrograms per cubic meter, a shocking 190 times above World Health Organization (WHO) safety guidelines. WHO advises PM2.5 levels remain under five micrograms per cubic meter.

Pakistan smog crisis

• UNICEF has voiced serious concerns for the health of 11 million children across Punjab, who are increasingly vulnerable to the escalating pollution
• Health authorities confirm that over 40,000 people have sought medical treatment for respiratory issues
• AQI has soared past 2,000 in cities across Punjab, including Lahore & Multan

While Punjab suffers from deadly smog, the illegitimate form-47 Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has been abroad in Geneva with her father, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, accompanied by Senior Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Marriyum Aurangzeb, and high-level bureaucrats, including Punjab’s Chief Secretary.

Moreover, the government and authorities have taken preposterous measures as they scramble to control the smog. Measures include mandating all businesses close by 8 p.m., weekend market closures, and an outdoor barbecue ban across the province. In an even more drastic and preposterous proposal, the government has proposed banning weddings from October to December to combat the smog.

Pakistan air pollution and climate crisis: A summary

1. Lahore—a city of 14 million people, packed with factories—regularly ranks among the world’s most polluted cities. However, this month it has reached record pollution levels.
2. Punjab has closed educational institutions & public spaces until November 17 in cities, including Lahore, which ranks as the world’s most polluted city. Authorities are urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel (ironically, the Chief Minister of Punjab and the Minister for Environment Protection and Climate Change are in Geneva).
3. At 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 1,045, with Delhi following at 329, as shown in IQAir’s data.
4. The Punjab Environmental Protection Department reported that Multan had the highest pollution on Monday, with AQI readings nearing 800, well above the hazardous threshold of 300.
5. According to Swiss group IQAir, the AQI levels surpassed 2,000 last week in cities including Lahore & Multan.
6. According to the International Air Quality Index scale, an index value of 300 or higher is classified as “hazardous” to health, and Pakistan has frequently exceeded 1,000 on this scale.
7. Each winter, a combination of low-grade fuel emissions from factories and vehicles, compounded by agricultural stubble burning, blankets the city, trapped by cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds.
8. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that air pollution can trigger strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and other respiratory diseases. It is especially harmful to children, babies, and the elderly.
9. The government has taken preposterous measures, including an early shutdown of shops and markets, a ban on outdoor barbecue and a ban on weddings between October and December.

Air Quality in Pakistan