LAHORE: The Punjab government on Friday announced a ‘temporary’ relaxation of restrictions imposed to address high levels of smog.

Caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir in a statement released on social media said that all public schools in Punjab would remain open on December 2 (Saturday). He further mentioned that winter vacations for public schools would commence from December 18 to January 1.

Additionally, Mir declared that markets, shops, and restaurants would remain operational across Punjab on both Saturday and Sunday.

The minister assured that decisions concerning smog-related measures in the coming week would be made based on the prevailing situation in the province.

Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city with an 11 million population, continues to rank among the top three most polluted cities due to significant smog levels.

On November 24, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab had implemented a smart lockdown in 10 districts, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal, and Sargodha divisions, due to escalating smog levels.

Educational institutions in these districts remain closed, and the notification specifies the closure of markets, shops, cinemas, and restaurants until 3 pm.