By Tuesday morning, Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 266 — second only to New Delhi, where most stations recorded levels well above 300. As fireworks lit up India’s skies over the Diwali weekend, a thick haze crept across the border into Pakistan — blurring the line between celebration and suffocation. Advertisement

Officials in Pakistan said the choking air was caused by a mix of local pollution and smoke drifting in from India after the Diwali festivities, made worse by low wind speeds, India Today reported, citing Karachi-based Dawn. The Punjab Environment Protection Department added that “winds carrying pollutants from New Delhi and other northern Indian cities contributed significantly to worsening air conditions in Pakistan's Punjab.”

By Tuesday morning, Lahore’s Air Qual

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