Smog in Pakistan Smothers Lahore, Breaking a Vibrant City’s Rhythms

In the vibrant Pakistani metropolis of Lahore, a city of 14 million people with a rich history and grand colonial-era buildings, evenings hold a special significance.

Markets thrum with activity, and families gather along bustling “food streets.” With the end of the year comes the height of the wedding season, when shimmering celebrations keep the city alive deep into the night.

But as a dense, suffocating smog has settled over Lahore’s skyline this month, the government has imposed restrictions that are reshaping the rhythms of a city that wakes late and thrives late.

Markets and wedding halls must now close by 8 p.m. Outdoor barbecues at restaurants are banned. Parks, zoos, historical monuments and museums are shut down. Complete weekend lockdowns — reminiscent of Covid-19 restrictions — are set to begin in a few days.

“People here start shopping after 4 or 5 p.m. after men return from their jobs,” said Chaudhry Kabir Ahmed, a traders’ leader at the Ichhra market in Lahore. “Now the government is asking us to close by 8 p.m. It’s hard to change people’s habits so quickly. And if we open late, authorities raid us and impose heavy fines.”

Lahore, the capital of Punjab, the most populous province in Pakistan, regularly ranks among the world’s most polluted cities. According to IQAir, a Swiss climate monitoring group, Lahore has hit record smog levels in recent weeks, reaching a reading of 1,100 on the Air Quality Index on Thursday. Any level above 150 is classified as “unhealthy,” and anything over 300 is deemed “hazardous.”