Pakistan has accused India of exacerbating the severe smog engulfing Lahore, where the air quality index has reached alarming record highs, posing serious health risks.
As per the media reports, many children and older citizens are at higher health risk among the thousands of residents around Lahore and other areas bordering India.
The air-quality index in Lahore exceeded 1,000 over the weekend, a record high in Pakistan.
"The wind direction brings air from India into Pakistan, yet India does not seem to be taking this problem as seriously as it should," Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told the media.
It is claimed by the officials that Lahore currently ranks well behind Delhi in terms of haze levels, with PM 2.5 concentrations surpassing 450, which is considered dangerous.
“The easterly winds from Amritsar and Chandigarh are spiking the air quality index in Lahore to over 1,000 for the past two days. The wind from India towards Lahore taking the smog to dangerous levels and the wind is likely to sustain its direction for at least next week,” she cautioned.
Earlier, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also proposed an idea of climate diplomacy with India and said she would engage the chief minister of the Indian side of Punjab to jointly address the issue of smog.
