Pakistan: Schools Close in Lahore as Air Pollution Hits Record Level

Facts

• Due to record high air pollution, Pakistan's second-largest city, Lahore, closed its elementary schools for a week and issued work-from-home orders.^[1]
• Lahore made the list of the world's most polluted cities for the second time on Sunday. The city's "green lockdown" policy involved banning engine-powered rickshaws and sellers using unfiltered grills.^[2]
• Since last month, hazardous gray smog has affected tens of thousands of people with respiratory and other ailments — primarily children and the elderly — as air quality in Lahore has deteriorated.^[3]
• The Punjab Environment Protection Department stated that the air concentration of fine particulate matter exceeded the threshold deemed "dangerous" for the city's 14M citizens. According to the authorities, face masks are mandatory for all residents of Lahore.^[4][5]
• Pakistan's Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz claimed the wind from India to Lahore is worsening the situation. Easterly breezes from Amritsar and Chandigarh boosted the air quality index over the weekend and will continue to blow into Lahore for another week.^[6]
• The Pakistani Foreign Ministry stated that talks with India are necessary to resolve the smog crisis in Lahore due to pollutants being blown in from India from wind patterns.^[7][8]

Sources: ^[1]Al Jazeera, ^[2]BBC News, ^[3]Associated Press, ^[4]Voice of America, ^[5]Independent, ^[6]The Indian Express, ^[7]Reuters and ^[8]IndiaTV News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Guardian and The Indian Express. This dangerous smog event is 15 times higher than what's deemed healthy. Industrial emissions, and from trucks and cars trapped over the city by the cold winter air, have worsened the already poor air quality. This dire situation has forced authorities to take drastic measures in discussions of "smog diplomacy" between Pakistan and India. A transnational solution in good faith is required to fully tackle this health threat.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Times of India. Pakistan has blamed India for a major role in the smog emergency. There are opportunities for "smog diplomacy" to ultimately enhance bilateral relations but, before any breakthroughs can be reached, Pakistan has uncomfortable grievances that must be heard. India has not properly enforced agricultural burning and firecracker bans and Pakistan will make it clear that it is on the receiving end of downstream impacts of these policies.