Lahore | Pakistan

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,...

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Saturday sent PTI founder Imran Khan’s nephew Shahrez Khan to jail on judicial remand in a case pertaining to the Jinnah House attack during the May 9, 2023 riots. Lahore Police 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. Lahore police presented Shahrez before the court of ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill today upon the completion of his eight-day physical remand. Advocate Rana Mudassar Umer and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja appeared as Shahrez’s counsel, while Imtiaz Ahmad Sipra was present as the prosecutor. Sipra sought a further 30-day physical custody of Shahrez, while Umer urged the court to discharge his client from the case. Judge Gill denied the police’s request and ordered that Shahrez be sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand. “A cane has been recovered from the susp...

Evacuations underway in Shahdara, Farrukhabad, Badami Bagh, Chunhg, Thokar Niaz Baig, Theme Park Holidays announced in 16 Lahore division colleges PPSC decides to postpone exams Two major bus stands closed.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Thursday sent PTI founder Imran Khan’s nephew Shershah Khan to jail on judicial remand 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. His brother Shahrez Khan, who was picked up the day before, was also handed over to police custody for eight days over the same allegations. Lahore police presented Shershah before the court of ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill today upon the completion of his five-day physical remand. Advocate Rana Mudassar Umer, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, and Barrister Taimur Malik appeared as Shershah’s counsel, while Imtiaz Ahmad Sipra was the prosecutor. Aleema, along with her sisters Uzma Khan and Noreen, appeared in the court, while Shershah was presented amid tight security. The prosecution sought a 30-day physical remand, while the defence counsel requested that the suspect be discharged from the case...

Pakistan Railways has unveiled plans to launch a high-speed bullet train service between Lahore and Karachi by 2030, cutting travel time between the two provincial capitals from 20 hours to just five.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to cut back its Paris operations, continuing flights only from Islamabad while discontinuing its Lahore–Paris service.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Saturday granted the police a five-day physical remand of 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 Friday. His brother Shahrez Khan, who was picked up on Thursday, was also handed over to police custody yesterday for eight days over the same allegations. ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill presided over today’s hearing, where PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja appeared as Shershah’s counsel and Imtiaz Sipra as the prosecutor. The prosecution sought a 30-day physical remand, while the defence counsel requested that the suspect be discharged from the case. Judge Gill then granted the police Shershah’s five-day custody. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting Imran’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also a...

Lahore Police on Friday confirmed that another son of Aleema Khan, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, was taken into custody from his Lahore residence, a day after his brother was arrested in connection with the May 9 riots. The deputy investigation of Lahore Police confirmed to Dawn.com that Shershah Khan, akin to his brother Shahrez Khan, was also arrested today for his involvement in the May 9 riots. Aleema’s lawyer, Advocate Rana Mudassir Umar, said that “Shershah was taken from his house after his appearance at a Lahore anti-terrorism court in relation to his brother’s case”. The PTI, in a post on X, called the incident an “abduction” and lamented that “the rule of law has been replaced with the law of the jungle”. The move comes a day after PTI announced that men in plainclothes had “abducted” Aleema’s son from her residence. Lahore police later announced that Shahrez had been arrested in connection with a May 9 case. Aleema addressed the arrest on social media this morning, saying, “(The policemen) brut...