Amid a mounting smog crisis, the caretaker Punjab government has taken a decisive step to combat the issue. Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced this vital measure during a press conference. He revealed that a four-day holiday period would begin on Thursday, coinciding with Iqbal Day, and extend through the weekend until Sunday. The primary goal of this move is to reduce pollution levels that have become a significant health concern for citizens.
Naqvi detailed the holiday schedule, which includes a national holiday on November 9, followed by the closure of schools and offices in Punjab on November 10. Although schools in the province already observe closures on Saturdays and Sundays, any schools operating on Saturdays will be required to remain closed for the entire week.
Additionally, the caretaker government has decided to close markets on Saturdays, with the flexibility for traders to voluntarily shutter markets on Fridays if they deem it appropriate.
The chief minister strongly urged the public to stay indoors during this four-day holiday, underscoring the severity of Lahore’s smog problem, which has resulted in the city becoming one of the most severely affected in the world.
In response to the worsening smog situation, the interim government in Punjab had declared a state of emergency across the province, with a particular focus on addressing the issue in Lahore. This action came after the Lahore High Court (LHC) had directed the administration to declare a smog emergency in order to safeguard the health of the citizens.
