Lahore's toxic winters: How smog is reshaping daily life in urban Pakistan

In November 2025, Lahore, the second-largest city in Pakistan, registered a "hazardous" air quality index of 509, according to IQAir, a global air quality monitoring organization. The number speaks for itself. Eyes sting, throats burn and headlights blur into halos. In winter, the city feels as though it has slipped beneath a toxic sea.