The Punjab government has ordered closure of all educational institutions and private offices in Lahore on Mondays along with two weekend holidays to tackle the issue of smog in the city, reported Aaj News.

The provincial government issued a notification stating the orders will be applicable from November 27 to January 15.

Considering the severity of the smog in the city, the Lahore High Court had directed the Punjab government to issue a notification to private offices in the city to halve staff attendance.

At the time of the filing of this report on Tuesday, Lahore ranked third among global cities which have the worst air quality as the city recorded 175 air quality index (AQI) which is unhealthy, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company that operates real-time air quality operation.

Among the cities of Punjab, Faisalabad topped with 345 AQI which was hazardous.

Air pollution has worsened in Pakistan in recent years, as a mixture of low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal crop burn off, and colder winter temperatures coalesce into stagnant clouds of smog.