Schools across five additional divisions in Punjab—Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, and Rawalpindi—have been temporarily closed due to worsening air pollution. The closures, effective until November 17, extend to private tuition centers, and online classes will be conducted for students up to grade 12.
Previously, schools in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Multan were also closed in response to hazardous smog levels.
Severe Smog Threatens Health in Punjab and KP
Air quality in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has deteriorated sharply, particularly in Lahore, which on Tuesday recorded the highest air pollution levels globally. Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached a dangerous level of 968 early in the morning, later dropping to 744. In Lahore’s DHA area, AQI levels reached 1,236, with similarly hazardous readings in Johar Town, Syed Maratab Ali Road, and Ghazi Road interchange.
