Railway officials have reported that trains arriving and departing from cities including Lahore and Karachi faced several hours of delays.

Pakistan’s largest populated province is dealing with severe smog because of vehicle emissions and air pollution caused by crops burning in India.

The provincial government has banned most outdoor activities and ordered shops, markets and malls in some cities to close early to curb illnesses caused by intense air pollution. It has also reduced the physical workforce in office by half and shut down schools to avoid health cases.

Earlier this week, UNICEF called for greater efforts to reduce pollution and protect children’s health in Punjab, saying that more than 11 million children under five years of age are in danger as they breathe the toxic air.

“In addition, schools in smog-affected areas have been closed…the learning of almost 16 million children in Punjab has been disrupted,” said Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in the country.

Smog affects flight operations

The smog intensity and weather conditions have significantly impacted the flight operations at the Sialkot airport where three international flights were unable to land and were diverted to alternative airports.

Another flight from Sharjah to Sialkot was diverted to Islamabad while the same returning flight from Sialkot to Sharjah was cancelled, and a flight from Muscat to Sialkot was diverted to Lahore International.

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The flight from Muscat to Sialkot, PK 737, was also diverted to Lahore. A flight from Jeddah, delayed by 12 hours, was supposed to land in Lahore but was diverted to Islamabad. Five flights from Karachi to Islamabad were delayed, while three flights from Lahore to Karachi faced delays of 2 to 5 hours.

According to the flight schedule, there were also delays in the arrival and departure of flights from Dubai, Istanbul, Jeddah, and Medina to Karachi.

At Islamabad airport, flights from Dubai, Dammam, Sharjah, Qassim, Jeddah, Doha, and Kuwait have experienced delays.

Furthermore, departures from Islamabad to Abu Dhabi, Gilgit, and Muscat were also delayed. Flights from Lahore to Quetta, Dammam, Istanbul, Qassim, and Dubai, as well as from Peshawar to Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Muscat, have faced delays.

Delays in the arrival and departure of two flights from Sialkot to Dubai and a 12-hour delay in the arrival and departure of a flight from Sharjah to Faisalabad were also reported.

(With input from APP)