LAHORE: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC), seeking urgent measures to address the worsening smog crisis in Punjab, prevent unlawful tree felling and enforce environmental laws.

The Judicial Activism Panel (JAP), through its chairman Advocate Azhar Siddique, filed the petition, pleading that the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency’s dashboard had recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 340 in Lahore and 500 in Shahdara on Oct 23. It also cited an IQAir reading of 410 for Lahore the same day.

The petition alleged that environmental measures had not been effectively implemented despite an LHC judgment passed on Aug 12, 2026, in Haroon Farooq versus government of Punjab and other related cases. It identified vehicle emissions, stubble burning, industrial pollution, construction dust, waste burning and loss of tree cover as major contributors to the environmental crisis.

The petition seeks the establishment of a “Smog and Climate Task Force” under the supervision of the chief secretary, an emergency-response plan linked to defined AQI thresholds, publication of air-quality data and regular departmental compliance reports. It also seeks protection of trees and greenbelts, transparent auditing of environmental fines and pollution charges and continuing judicial supervision until compliance with the court’s directions.

The JAP said its earlier representation and final pre-litigation notice had received no substantive response from the government.

GOVT ACTION: The Punjab government inspected 64 industrial units, sealed one, issued notices to two and imposed a fine on others in an anti-smog operation in various areas of the city during the last 24 hours.

Drones were used during the operation against the industrial units.

The teams also inspected 117 brick kilns, sealed one, imposed Rs100,000 fine on another and also registered a case.The teams also inspected the 15 BBQ points and installed 10 suction hoods there.

In 33 inspections, the officials recovered 26kg plastic.

Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said 53pc of rice crops cultivated on 3,357,949 acres had been harvested while 187 balers were active in the province. She added that only 114 incidents of setting the crops residue on fire were reported in the province and 55 cases were registered.

The minister said campaigns were being carried out for the use of the latest machinery to harvest the crops and farmers were directed to use environment-friendly tactics.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2026