LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered the closure of all cafes in Johar Town area of the city by 10 pm daily except Saturdays they will be allowed to work till 11pm in latest measures to tackle intensifying smog.
LHC’s Justice Shahid Karim issued the directives to the authorities while hearing petitions regarding smog issue in the province.
Latest data available on IQAir website, which monitors air quality in various cities of the world, shows the Lahore’s AQI stands at 349 at noon today, which falls under the category of hazardous.
A day earlier, the Punjab government has issued a notification regarding closure of all educational institutions on Friday and Saturday as party of safety measures for prevention and control of smog disease in the province.
A notification issued by Relief Commission Nabeel Javed had declared Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Sahiwal divisions as calamity affected areas due to smog. It added that there shall be “restricted movement” in the area of the said divisions.
“All Public and private schools, colleges, universities and educational institutions shall remain closed on Friday and Saturday,” reads the notification.
— Government of Punjab (@GovtofPunjabPK) November 23, 2023
It said that all markets, shops and restaurants shall open after 3:00pm on Friday and Saturday, adding that all office “shall open after 3:00 PM on Saturday”.