After having already shut down schools till November 17, Pakistan Punjab's provincial government on Friday ordered a complete ban on the people's entry to public and private parks, zoos, playgrounds, historical places, monuments, museums and joy/play lands effective immediately due to the massive deterioration of air quality in the region, especially in provincial capital Lahore which remains the world's most polluted city.
The order, issued by the provincial government's Environmental Protection Agency, comes a day after Lahore's Air Quality Index reached alarming levels, crossing the 1000-mark in many areas.
According to the agency's Director General Imran Hamid Sheikh, besides Lahore, the ban will also be effective in the districts of Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Multan, Lodhran, Vehari and Khanewal.
Sheikh made it clear that violators will be punished by the province's law enforcement agencies under the Pakistan Penal Code.
"Preemptive measures against all the sources of air pollution have already been started by EPA as well as other concerned departments," the agency stated.
On Thursday, a three-year-old girl moved a petition against the provincial government in Lahore High Court (LHC) as the entire region reels under the severe impact of smog, keeping the air quality in an extremely hazardous zone.
The petitioner, Amal Sekhera, through her lawyer maintained in the petition that young children and the elderly are severely affected by air pollution and sought justice for herself, friends and the future generations.
"Under Article 99-A of the Constitution, the government is obligated to provide citizens with a clean and healthy environment," the petition stated.
The petition criticised the Punjab government for failing to protect the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan.
As per the Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, Lahore has been topping the list of world's most polluted cities with the AQI levels exceeding 1000 on many occasions.
The extended and prolonged bad weather has made it impossible for citizens to venture out of their homes. The hospitals too are getting filled up with people suffering from respiratory issues. The bad air quality has left thousands of citizens of the province vulnerable to respiratory diseases with the provincial government and doctors advising all to wear masks whenever they venture out of their homes.
The provincial government has imposed a smog emergency across the province and has shut down all educational institutions up to the higher secondary level in Lahore and other districts till November 17.
Many other cities like Multan and Gujranwala are also severely impacted with the ongoing weather conditions.