The Punjab School Education Department has updated the school timings due to the intensifying smog in Punjab. According to the revised schedule, class will start at 8:45am.
Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat confirmed the updated school timing on his X account.
As per the new routine, schools will begin classes from 8:45am to 1:30pm from Monday to Thursday, while on Friday, schools will close at 12:30pm.
Following the patterns of recent years, Lahore is listed as the most polluted city worldwide today, with heavy smog blanketing the city and its surroundings.
According to IQAir — the air quality monitoring platform — Lahore noted a US Air Quality Index (AQI) of 349 at 9:43 am, placing it in the “hazardous” category.
The PM2.5 concentration was recorded at 249.5 µg/m³ — almost 50 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual air quality standard.
The harmful smog has left the province enveloped for days, lowering visibility and causing extensive health problems, including throat irritation, breathing issues, and itchy eyes.
Public health experts have urged residents to restrict outdoor activity and wear face covering masks when necessary.
