Punjab will hold “Namaz-e-Istisqa” (a prayer for rain) on November 15, seeking divine intervention to alleviate the worsening air quality.
The Department of Religious Affairs announced the province-wide prayer, which will be performed as a collective appeal for rain, essential to combat the current environmental crisis.
The prayer is traditionally offered in times of drought or severe weather conditions, with people coming together to ask for mercy and rainfall.
As the dense smog continues to affect the region, officials believe that rain is urgently needed to clear the air and ease the hazardous conditions that have plagued daily life.
In recent days, Lahore has been ranked among the world’s most polluted cities, with air quality deteriorating to hazardous levels.
The Department of Meteorology has forecast some relief from strong winds and thunderstorms, but minimal rain is expected in Lahore and its surrounding areas.
With an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 644 in Lahore, the city ranks as the second most polluted globally, just behind Delhi, which recorded an AQI of 1,267.
Multan follows as the second-most-polluted city in Pakistan, with other major cities like Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar also experiencing significant air quality issues.
The dense fog and smog have drastically reduced visibility across Punjab, leading to road closures. Sections of major motorways, including M2, M3, M4, and M5, have been shut down for safety reasons, as the fog has created near-zero visibility in some areas.
In response to the health hazards posed by the smog, the Punjab government has extended school closures across 36 districts for an additional five days, urging schools to shift to online classes. Additionally, government offices have reduced attendance by half to limit exposure to the polluted air.
Environmental experts have linked the thick smog to the broader effects of climate change, calling for urgent measures to address the crisis and protect public health.
