LAHORE: Lahore recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 240, placing it first in IQAir’s global ranking of major polluted cities as hazardous smog continued to affect Punjab’s capital.
IQAir said Lahore’s PM2.5 levels—fine particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs—were 33 times higher than the World Health Organization’s annual guideline. The monitor also reported AQI readings of 283 in Faisalabad, 245 in Peshawar and 228 in Gujranwala.
Punjab Environment Protection Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb attributed the pollution to air drifting from India after Diwali celebrations, saying light winds had carried pollutants across the border. She said conditions were expected to improve later in the day as winds changed. India’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment.
IQAir placed Delhi second among the world’s most polluted major cities, with an AQI of 188 on Tuesday. Indian government data indicated that firecrackers accounted for nearly 55% of the capital’s PM2.5 pollution the previous day.
Vehicle exhaust, construction dust and crop-residue burning also contribute to winter smog across the region. The source of cross-border pollution has been disputed before: in 2024, Pakistan blamed crop burning in Indian Punjab, while India’s weather department said winds were then blowing from Pakistan towards India.
India’s ruling BJP has also pointed to crop burning in opposition-governed Punjab as a cause of Delhi’s poor air. Local media reported a sharp rise in farm fires there on Sunday, though the state government says burning incidents have declined compared with previous years.
