Lahore:

A three-year-old girl has filed a petition against the local government as Pakistan’s Punjab province, particularly its capital Lahore, continues to be hit hard by smog, keeping air quality in an extremely hazardous zone.

On Thursday morning, the Lahore Air Quality Index (AQI) remained at the top of the global rankings with levels well above the 800 mark, making the air seriously hazardous for residents.

According to Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, Lahore is one of the cities with the highest AQI in the world. Levels even exceeded the 1000 mark in many cases.

Prolonged and prolonged bad weather conditions made it impossible for citizens to go out of their homes. Hospitals are also overflowing with people suffering from respiratory problems. Poor air quality has left thousands of the state’s citizens vulnerable to respiratory diseases; The state government and doctors advise everyone to wear masks when they step out of their homes.

The state government declared a smoke emergency across the state and closed all educational institutions up to secondary level in Lahore and other areas until November 17.

Meanwhile, a three-year-old girl approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday, filing a case against the provincial government for its failure to control air pollution.

Petitioner Amal Sekhera, through her lawyer, stated in her petition that young children and the elderly are seriously affected by air pollution, and that she wants justice for herself, her friends and future generations.

The petition stated that “in accordance with Article 99-A of the Constitution, the government is obliged to provide citizens with a clean and healthy environment.”

The petition criticizes the Punjab government for not protecting the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan.

Maryam Aurangzeb, senior provincial minister in the Punjab government, said the smog density is expected to continue for at least 10 more days, so educational institutions have been closed and people have been advised to wear masks.

Many other cities like Multan and Gujranwala are also severely affected by the ongoing weather conditions.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is syndicated.)