Lahore | Pakistan

LAHORE - The Pakistan Railways has decided to remove engineering obstacles between Lahore and Rawalpindi within a month, a move aimed at reducing travel time for passengers.

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Saturday announced changes in certain routes for the Karachi and Lahore flight regions for the upcoming week to ensure “continued safety and effective management of air traffic”. “​The restrictions are effective from Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 5:01am Pakistan Standard Time (PKT) and will remain in place until Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 9am PKT,” said a NOTAM (notice to airmen) issued by the PAA today. ​ “This is a routine operational safety matter. The measure is being implemented for ‘operational reasons’ to ensure the continued safety and effective management of air traffic.” In a separate development, open source tracker Damien Symon, also quoted by Reuters in earlier news reports, said Indian aviation authorities issued a NOTAM a day earlier “possibly for a military exercise/weapons test as India prepares for its Tri-Services Exercise across the border”. The open source tracker stated that India had also issued a NOTAM for a tri-services exercise along its ...

Lahore continued to experience dry and hazy weather on Saturday as the Met Office warned that persistent dry conditions and rising air pollution were likely to keep the city and other districts of eastern Punjab under the grip of smog. It added that continental air was prevailing over most parts of the country, bringing generally dry weather, while hilly areas were expected to remain cold during morning and night hours. Citizens were advised to take precautionary measures against the prevailing smog. Lahore was declared the world’s most polluted city earlier this week as a hazardous blanket of smog enveloped the metropolis, prompting authorities to issue a severe public health warning. Along with Karachi, the city was among the top five most polluted cities in terms of air quality, according to monitoring platform IQAir. Smog is set to intensify across Lahore and other parts of Punjab due to a combination of local emissions and pollutants carried by low-speed winds from India, following Diwali celebrations, a...

Lahore has once again ranked as the most polluted city in the world, with Karachi also making the list at fourth place, according to the latest data from the global air quality monitor IQAir.

Imperial College London has refuted the Punjab government’s claims that it is opening a campus at the Nawaz Sharif IT City in Lahore, saying that all of its campuses are based in the United Kingdom (UK). On October 18, the PML-N had posted on its official X account about a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The post said that a campus of Imperial College London would open at the Nawaz Sharif IT City, adding that the foundation stone would be laid in November. “A modern 300-bed hospital will also be built within the college campus,” it said. In a separate post on X, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had also made a similar statement about the meeting chaired by the chief minister. “A campus of Imperial College London will be established in the Nawaz Sharif IT City which will also include a state-of-the-art 300-bed hospital and its foundation stone will be laid in November,” she had said. The post has since been deleted. Screenshot of post made by Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aura...

Lahore and Karachi were among the top five most polluted cities in terms of air quality on Tuesday, according to monitoring platform IQAir. In past few years, air pollution has become one of the most pressing public health and environmental crises facing Pakistan. Various cities of the country, most notably Lahore, deal with smog especially in the winter months. The phenomenon is attributed mainly to industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, stubble burning and air movement. Ranked the world’s third most polluted city yesterday, Lahore rose to the second spot today with an air quality index (AQI) reading of 234 at 11am, categorised as “very unhealthy”. The provincial capital trailed just behind New Delhi, which had an “hazardous” AQI of 489. Karachi recorded an AQI of 182 at 11am, falling in the “unhealthy” range and just barely behind Kuwait’s capital at 183. India’s Mumbai came in at fifth with an AQI of 169. World’s 10 most polluted cities as ranked by IQAir, as of 11am on Oct 21, 2025. — screngrab via IQ...

Lahore’s air quality is expected to deteriorate sharply on Tuesday as smog drifts in from India’s capital, Delhi, which recorded a “hazardous” Air Quality Index (AQI) of 535 at 8:40 am, according to Swiss monitoring firm IQAir.

Lahore was ranked the second most polluted city in the world in terms of air quality on Sunday, according to air quality monitoring platform IQAir. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a measure of the concentration of various pollutants in the air, such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), coarse particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3). Any IQAir AQI ranking above 150 is considered “unhealthy” and above 200 is considered “very unhealthy”. The AQI reading for Lahore stood at a very unhealthy 189; it was just beaten by Delhi, which registered a reading of 212 around 7:30pm. Additionally, levels of the pollutant PM2.5 were measured at 109 microgrammes per cubic metre of air (μg/m³), 21.8 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s annual PM2.5 guidelines. PM2.5 particles are floating particulate matter in the air measuring 2.5 micrometres in diameter or less, according to IQAir. PM2.5 is so small that it can be absorbed into the bloodstream upon inhalation. IQAir recommended on its w...

In a delightful development for children and families, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has brought back giraffes to Lahore after an eight-year absence.

LAHORE/RY KHAN - A fugitive wanted by Lahore police was killed by gunfire from his own accomplices during an alleged encounter near Kot Sabzal police station, Rahim Yar Khan.

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved financing of $235 million for the Lahore Water and Wastewater Management Project. This funding aims to ensure a sustainable supply of safe water and alleviate the environmental damage caused by untreated sewage discharge in the city. The loan, approved by the Beijing-based institution on Thursday, will also support the Lahore Water and Sanitation Agency (LWASA) in improving its institutional capacity, enabling it to provide better services to the residents of Lahore while becoming a financially sustainable entity. Lahore faces a dual challenge of inadequate clean water and untreated wastewater overflow, both of which require urgent attention from the provincial government. The AIIB financing will be directed towards addressing these issues in a coordinated manner. The Punjab government had requested the AIIB’s support for the construction of infrastructure to divert water from the nearby Banbawala Ravi Bedian Depalpur (BRBD) Canal, as wel...

Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters reached Lahore’s Shahdara bridge late on Friday night as the religious party attempted to march towards Islamabad and hold an anti-Israeli demonstration outside the US embassy. A spokesperson for the party told Dawn.com that they have stopped the march for the night. A Dawn.com correspondent in Lahore reported earlier on Friday evening that the protesters were trying to remove obstacles at the city’s Chauburji Chowk and march ahead. A statement by Edhi spokesperson Younis Bhatti said several policemen had been injured in clashes with TLP protesters. The statement added that Edhi volunteers moved the injured personnel to various hospitals in the city. Meanwhile, TLP spokesperson Usman Naushahi told Dawn.com that one of the protesters had died and 22 were injured. Ahead of the march, without naming the TLP, the US embassy in Islamabad posted on social media platform X that “the US consulates general in Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar are monitoring planned protest activ...

Air pollution in the provincial capital has reached a critical level, with Lahore now ranked as the second most polluted city in the world.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid a surprise visit to the Executive Passport Office in Lahore on Tuesday to review service delivery and gather citizens’ feedback on the passport application process.

The Executive Development Institute (EDI) of the National School of Public Policy (NSPP) conducted the 7th series of its “Public Financial Management (PFM) Training Workshop” in Lahore from September 11 to 12, bringing together 41 participants from federal and provincial governments, private sector executives, and representatives of.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while sentencing Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and others to 10 years in prison over yet another May 9 riots case, pertaining to the burning of police vehicles near Jinnah House. Following the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, from the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) premises, riots erupted across the country and went on for at least 24 hours. Protesters vandalised and torched government buildings and military installations, while also breaking into the residence of the Lahore corps commander. The state subsequently launched a crackdown against him and his party, filing several other cases against Imran and party leaders since the events of May 9. Sarwar Road Police had registered a case against the PTI leaders on charges of setting police vehicles on fire near Jinnah House (Corps Commander House). Advocate Rana Mudassar confirmed the development to Dawn.com, saying ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill acq...

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Thursday granted bail to PTI founder Imran Khan’s nephew Shershah Khan in a case pertaining to the Jinnah House attack during the May 9, 2023 riots. The Lahore Police arrested Shershah, son of Imran’s sister Aleema Khan, from outside his home on August 22. He was then sent on a five-day physical remand and later to jail for 14 days on August 28. Today’s development comes a day after Shershah’s triathlete brother, Shahrez Khan, was also granted bail in a similar case. Shahrez was picked up on August 21 and was handed over to police custody for eight days before his judicial remand and bail. He was released today from Kot Lakpat Jail after paying bail. In the last hearing on Tuesday, the ATC had again granted the prosecution time till today to present the case record in connection with Shershah’s post-arrest bail plea. ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill presided over the hearing today, where Advocate Rana Mudassar Umer appeared as Shershah’s counsel. During the hearing, Umer po...

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Wednesday granted bail to PTI founder Imran Khan’s nephew Shahrez Khan in a case pertaining to the Jinnah House attack during the May 9, 2023, riots. ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill announced the verdict that was reserved earlier today on Shahrez’s bail petition and ordered his release subject to paying a surety bond set at Rs100,000. Shahrez’s lawyer, Advocate Rana Mudassar, confirmed the development to Dawn.com and PTI lawyer Taimur Malik also said the same. Lahore Police had picked up Shahrez, son of Imran’s sister Aleema Khan, from his mother’s Lahore residence on August 21. His brother Shershah Khan was also arrested the next day over similar allegations, and sent on physical remand and then to jail. Shahrez was sent on 14-day judicial remand by the Lahore ATC on August 30. During today’s hearing on Shahrez’s bail petition, Advocate Mudassar argued that the athlete was accused of inciting party workers, adding that the investigation was approached from multiple angles...

The Punjab Wildlife Department successfully rescued six lions stranded in floodwater at a farmhouse near the Ravi River in Lahore.

LAHORE: While announcing the reopening of all other schools in Lahore on Monday (today) after the summer vacations, the District Education Authority (DEA) Lahore said that 45 schools will remain closed due to flooding or their current use as flood relief camps. The schools that will remain closed are primarily located in severely flood-impacted areas, including Shahdara, Saggian, Maraka, Chung, Manga, and Bund Road. The affected institutions include 33 government schools, three schools managed by the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), one school under the Punjab Education Initiative Management Authority (PEIMA-PSSP), and eight private schools, according to an order issued by the deputy commissioner. Temporary closure also affects specific institutions, including Government Higher Secondary School Maraka Quarter, Government High School Shahdara Mor Farakh Abad, Government Higher Secondary School Niaz Baig, and Government Central Model School No. 2 Rattigan Road. Private institutions in the Tehsil Raiwind area,...