Choking in toxic smog

Pollution casts pall over life in once vibrant city of Lahore in Pakistan

In the vibrant Pakistani metropolis of Lahore, a city of 14 million people with a rich history and grand colonial-era buildings, evenings hold a special significance.

Markets thrum with activity, and families gather along bustling "food streets". With the end of the year comes the height of the wedding season, when shimmering celebrations keep the city alive deep into the night.

But as a dense, suffocating smog has settled over Lahore's skyline this November, the government has imposed restrictions that are reshaping the rhythms of a city that wakes late and thrives late.

Markets and wedding halls must now close by 8pm. Outdoor barbecues at restaurants are banned. Parks, zoos, historical monuments and museums are shut down. Complete weekend lockdowns - reminiscent of Covid-19 restrictions - are set to begin in a few days.

"People here start shopping after 4pm or 5pm after men return from their jobs," said Mr Chaudhry Kabir Ahmed, a traders' leader at the Ichhra market in Lahore. "Now, the government is asking us to close by 8 pm. It is hard to change people's habits so quickly. And if we open late, the authorities raid us and impose heavy fines."

Lahore, the capital of Punjab, the most populous province in Pakistan, regularly ranks among the world's most polluted cities. According to IQAir, a Swiss climate monitoring group, Lahore has hit record smog levels in recent weeks, reaching a reading of 1,100 on the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Nov 14. Any level above 150 is classified as "unhealthy", and anything over 300 is deemed "hazardous".

Punjab province is next to northern India, and both regions face alarmingly high levels of air pollution. On Nov 18, the AQI figure in the Indian capital, New Delhi, reached 1,785, and the city's chief minister has declared a "medical emergency".