Late-night business activities barred in Pakistan's Lahore city to curb smog

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – In an effort to combat rising smog, a Pakistani court banned all late-night business activities in the northeastern city of Lahore on Wednesday.

Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court ordered the closure of all markets and restaurants in the capital of the northeastern Punjab province by 10 p.m.

The same court has already ordered school closures for three days per week as a thick pall of smog has blanketed the country's second-largest city, particularly in the morning.

The judge ordered the authorities to take action against the violators, particularly the schools if they remain open on Fridays.

In December and January, the Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India are usually engulfed in thick smog, causing highway accidents and respiratory problems.

The burning of stubble to prepare fields for the next crop, as well as emissions from factories and brick kilns, are major contributors to rising pollution in both countries.

Lahore, home to approximately 12 million people, has long been ranked high on the pollution index, has joined New Delhi, Dhaka, Karachi, and Beijing as Asia's most polluted cities.

According to IQAir, a global air quality monitor, Lahore was 149 on the air quality index at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, which qualifies as "unhealthy for sensitive groups."​​​​​​​