Pakistan: Entry to parks, playgrounds banned as Lahore AQI crosses 1000 again

Having already shut down schools until 17 November, Pakistan Punjab's provincial government on Friday ordered a complete ban on people's entry to public and private parks, zoos, playgrounds, historical places, monuments, museums and similar establishments effective immediately, owing to the massive deterioration of air quality in the region, especially in provincial capital Lahore, which remains the world's most polluted city.

The order, issued by the provincial government's Environmental Protection Agency, comes a day after Lahore's air quality index (AQI) reached alarming levels, crossing the 1,000 mark in many areas. According to the agency's director-general Imran Hamid Sheikh, besides Lahore, the ban will also be effective in the districts of Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Multan, Lodhran, Vehari and Khanewal.

Sheikh made it clear that violators will be punished by the province's law enforcement agencies under the Pakistan Penal Code. "Preemptive measures against all the sources of air pollution have already been started by EPA as well as other concerned departments," the agency stated.

On Thursday, a three-year-old girl moved a petition against the provincial government in Lahore High Court as the entire region reels under the severe impact of smog, keeping the air quality in an extremely hazardous zone.

The petitioner, Amal Sekhera, through her lawyer, maintained that young children and the elderly are severely affected by air pollution and sought justice for herself, friends and the future generations.

"Under Article 99-A of the Constitution, the government is obligated to provide citizens with a clean and healthy environment," the petition stated, and criticised the Punjab government for failing to protect the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan.

As per the Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, Lahore has been topping the list of world's most polluted cities, with AQI levels exceeding 1,000 on several occasions. The extended and prolonged bad weather has made it impossible for citizens to venture out of their homes. The hospitals too are being filled with people suffering from respiratory issues.

The air quality has left thousands of citizens of the province vulnerable to respiratory diseases, with the provincial government and doctors advising all to wear masks whenever they venture out of their homes.

The provincial government has imposed a smog emergency across the province and has shut down all educational institutions up to the higher secondary level in Lahore and other districts until 17 November. Many other cities like Multan and Gujranwala are also severely impacted by the ongoing weather conditions.