Pakistan has declared a health emergency as Lahore's air quality hits alarming levels, affecting millions with respiratory issues. Authorities have implemented urgent measures, including school closures,

A Pakistani province declared a health emergency Friday due to smog and imposed a shutdown in two major cities.

With smog intensity escalating in Lahore at the end of October, affecting its 13 million residents, the Punjab government imposed a “green lockdown” and set up a “smog war room.”

The crisis has prompted a flurry of responses from local authorities, as the country grapples with its most severe air pollution event in years. According to several Pakistani media reports the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority had declared smog a “calamity” and instituted emergency measures.

Lahore recorded the worst case of air pollution in the world, with the AQI nearing 1600 on Friday. Pakistan Air pollution: As several states in northern India continue to battle worsening air pollution,