Lahore:

A three-year-old girl has filed a petition against the local government of Pakistan’s Punjab, as the province, particularly its capital Lahore, continues to suffer the severe effects of smog, keeping the air quality in an extremely dangerous zone .

On Thursday morning, Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remained at the top of the global rankings with levels well above the 800 mark, making the air very dangerous for residents.

According to Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, Lahore tops the list of cities with the highest AQI in the world. The levels even exceeded the 1000 mark on several occasions.

Prolonged bad weather has made it impossible for citizens to venture out of their homes. Hospitals are also filling up with people suffering from respiratory problems. Poor air quality has left thousands of the province’s citizens vulnerable to respiratory illnesses, with the provincial government and doctors advising everyone to wear masks whenever they venture out of their homes.

The provincial government has imposed a smog emergency across the province and closed all educational institutions up to the higher secondary level in Lahore and other districts until November 17.

Meanwhile, a three-year-old girl approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday to file a complaint against the provincial government for its failure to control air pollution.

The petitioner, Amal Sekhera, through her lawyer, argued in the petition that young children and the elderly are seriously affected by air pollution and sought justice for herself, her friends and the future generations.

“Under Article 99-A of the Constitution, the government is required to provide a clean and healthy environment to the citizens,” the petition said.

The petition criticized the Punjab government for its failure to protect the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan.

Provincial Minister of Punjab government Maryam Aurangzeb said the intensity of smog is expected to persist for at least 10 more days, due to which educational institutions have been closed and people have been advised to wear masks .

Many other cities like Multan and Gujranwala are also badly affected by the current weather conditions.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)