Lahore again topped the ranking of the world's most polluted cities on Thursday, as thick smog kept air quality at hazardous levels across Punjab's capital. The city's average air quality index (AQI) exceeded 344, with Paragon City recording 671 and Model Town 561, while readings had peaked at 451 the day before.

Swiss monitor IQAir classified conditions as "very unhealthy", putting PM2.5 — fine particles small enough to reach deep into the lungs — at 33 times the World Health Organisation's annual guideline. Faisalabad recorded an AQI of 283, Peshawar 245 and Gujranwala 228.

Minister says smog is not a political issue

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told a press conference in Lahore on Wednesday that smog must not be treated as a political issue. She defended the provincial government's anti-smog measures and claimed Lahore's air quality had improved by 64 per cent.

The Punjab Environment Protection Agency has found that pollution-laden air from India travelled deep into Punjab during the Diwali period, pushing up particulate matter across the province. Aurangzeb said light winds had carried pollutants in from India after Diwali, and that pollution was expected to ease from early afternoon as winds shifted direction.

Health advice and outlook

The Pakistan Meteorological Department gave Lahore only a 10 per cent chance of rain on Thursday, with humidity at 75 per cent and wind of just 3 kilometres per hour. Rain is forecast in parts of southern Punjab over the next two to three days, which could bring some relief.

Medical experts have urged residents to limit outdoor activities, wear face masks and protect their eyes and breathing. The smog has already forced the second Test against Sri Lanka to move from Lahore to Rawalpindi. Read more from The News and The Destination.