In response to worsening air quality, schools in five more divisions of Punjab—Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, and Rawalpindi—will remain closed until November 17. The closure applies to both public and private institutions, including tuition centers, which will also shut down. Classes for students up to grade 12 will shift to online formats during this period.
Previously, schools in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Multan divisions had already been closed due to the hazardous air pollution levels.
Smog Crisis Deepens in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The smog situation continues to worsen in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with hazardous levels of air pollution making it difficult to breathe, particularly in Lahore. On Tuesday, Lahore was ranked as the most polluted city in the world. Early morning Air Quality Index (AQI) readings in Lahore reached a dangerously high 968, although conditions slightly improved later in the morning, with the AQI measured at 744 around 10:30 am. Specific areas in Lahore recorded even worse figures, including DHA at 1,236, Johar Town at 991, Syed Maratab Ali Road at 1,256, and Ghazi Road interchange at 904.
