Smog: Lahore markets, restaurants to close at 10pm

LAHORE: In a step towards controlling smog, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed the authorities to close markets and restaurants by 10pm across the city, ARY News reported.

The LHC judge Justice Shahid Karim issued orders while hearing a petition seeking the court’s intervention to curb smog.

During the hearing, the LHC ordered the closure of markets and restaurants from Monday-Thursday at 10 pm and allowed businesses to operate till 11 pm on weekends.

Justice Shahid Karim also ordered to seal schools defying LHC’s three weekly offs decision. He also directed the education department to strictly implement LHC orders.

The court, however, put off the suggestion seeking the closure of markets on Sunday.

Lahore schools to close thrice a week

The Punjab government on Wednesday notified three off days in a week for schools in provincial capital owing to extreme smog, ARY News reported.

“All schools of Lahore will remain closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” official notification read. “The decision of three weekly off days will remain in force till the next order,” the government had announced.

The provincial government has notified three weekly offs in Lahore’s schools on the Lahore High Court’s orders in view of the state of smog and air quality in provincial capital city.

Smoke from vehicles, factories and burning of the remains of crops have been major factors behind the dense smog that engulfs cities in the beginning days of Winter.

Punjab badly struck with such weather conditions in recent years in the initial days of winter in the region.

A spell of heavy rains or strong winds could clear the smog caused by polluting heavy particles.