Mocking the governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which are grappling with a severe smog crisis, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has advised people to move to Karachi for better air quality. The PPP has ruled Sindh for about 15 years.
Bilawal shared real-time AQI rankings of Pakistan’s cities recorded on November 10 on his X handle. The data showed that KP’s Peshawar had the highest reading at 591, followed by Multan at 573, Lahore at 479, and Rawalpindi at 302. Haripur and Islamabad were measured at 272 and 262, respectively.
In contrast, Karachi’s air quality was recorded at 78, which is considered acceptable. According to health experts, air pollution in cities with AQI readings between 51 and 100 may pose a moderate health concern for a very small number of individuals.
In recent weeks, the ongoing smog crisis in Pakistan has intensified, with air-carrying toxins from India engulfing various districts of KP after affecting Punjab. Lahore remains at the top of the global pollution charts. On November 10, the provincial capital’s AQI reading was 613 around 10 am, according to the real-time list of most polluted cities in the world by Swiss group IQ Air. PM2.5 pollutants, the fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health, were recorded at 382.2, which is 76.4 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) annual air quality guideline value.
The smog has spread beyond Punjab, blanketing some districts in KP, where citizens have complained of eye and throat infections and breathing issues.
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