LAHORE – The caretaker Punjab government on Tuesday announced a four-day holiday in the province in order to curb worsening smog situation. 

Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi made the announcement in a press conference saying the holidays will be observed from Thursday (which is a public holiday on account of Iqbal Day) till Sunday. He hoped that such measures will help curb the pollution that is posing threats to citizens’ health.

He said there will be national holiday on November 9 and on November 10 we will shut schools and offices in Punjab.

He said schools are already closed on Saturdays and Sundays in the province, but if a school is open on Saturday, then it will be asked to remain closed for this week.

He also announced that markets will remain closed on Saturdays, adding that the traders can close the markets on Fridays if they find it feasible. 

The chief minister asked public to stay indoors during these four holidays while pointed out that Lahore had become the worst smog-hit city in the world. 

Last week, the interim government in Punjab declared emergency across the province to tackle worsening smog situation in the province, particularly Lahore. 

Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the administration to impose the smog emergency in order to avoid risks to health of citizens.