Dec 17, 2021: The Lahore High Court on Thursday expressed concern over the increase in smog and directed the government to reconsider its decision to close schools from December 20.

“If the government decides not to close schools, it will announce its final decision,” the court added. The court directed the law officer to appear before it on December 17 with the government’s instructions to close schools in petitions against the increase in pollution. The court adjourned the proceedings on these petitions till the next hearing and also sought notification of PEMRA’s smog awareness campaign.

The court said immediate steps would have to be taken to control the smog as the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had not taken concrete steps to address the issue.

However, the Deputy Director PDMA appealed to the court that barbecue shops were also causing increase in smog and asked the court to order immediate closure of these shops.

However, the court did not accept the proposal. The court directed the kiln owners to submit the fine next week. The court directed the concerned authorities to seal the brick kilns whose owners failed to pay the fine within a week.