Lahore Desi news — 2026-10-28
Lahore Ranks Second Globally for Air Pollution as PM2.5 Levels Spike Across Punjab
Lahore has ranked second globally for air pollution, according to data from IQAir, as the city recorded an Air Quality Index reading of 139 at 3pm on October 26, with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) identified as the dominant pollutant. The reading placed Lahore in the unhealthy-for-sensitive-groups category on the US AQI scale, raising alarms among health professionals and residents during what is typically the worst smog season in the Punjab region. Across Pakistan's Punjab, cities recorded some of the highest pollution levels in the country, with Pakpattan registering an AQI of 210, Multan at 204, and Sargodha at 195. The provincial average AQI for October 26 was recorded at 144, categorized as moderate. D.G. Khan reported the highest reading of 213 while Talla Ganag logged the lowest at 96. Lahore's own AQI fluctuated during the day but averaged around 178 for the period. Health authorities have urged residents with respiratory conditions, the elderly, and young children to reduce outdoor activity. The smog season in Punjab typically worsens in October and November due to a combination of agricultural stubble burning in Indian Punjab and Pakistani Punjab, reduced wind speeds, and urban vehicular emissions, making cities like Lahore among the most polluted in the world during this period. [2]
Indian Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Expresses Desire to Visit Lahore, Calls for Kartarpur Corridor Reopening
Indian Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has expressed a heartfelt desire to visit Lahore, speaking in the Indian Punjab Assembly and noting that the people on both sides of the India-Pakistan border share common roots, culture and historical challenges. Mann revealed that he had received an invitation to attend a conference in Lahore, but that restrictions on his travel to Pakistan made the visit impossible. He remarked with a touch of irony: they do not allow me to go there, so how will they let me travel to Pakistan? His comments reflect the ongoing limitations on people-to-people contact between the two countries, where trade and diplomatic engagement remain limited and visas continue to be difficult to obtain for travellers. Mann also called for the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor, the significant pilgrimage route for Sikhs that connects Dera Baba Nanak in India to the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan, which has been closed according to recent reports. His statements come amid continued stagnation in India-Pakistan relations, while the shared cultural and ethnic ties between the Punjabi communities on both sides of the border remain strong. Many Punjabis from both nations have roots in pre-partition families and continue to share linguistic, cultural and religious identities, making Mann's call for greater connectivity particularly resonant with the Sikh diaspora community globally. [6]
Punjab Records 63 Percent Decline in Overall Crime Rate; Lahore Region Leads With 78 Percent Drop
Pakistan's Crime Control Department Punjab has reported a significant 63 percent decline in the overall crime rate across the province, with Lahore region recording an even higher 78 percent decline in overall crime during the reporting period. The CCD Punjab report tracked improvements across six major categories of crime including dacoity, house dacoity, robbery, house robbery, motorcycle snatching and other offences. The figures represent a substantial improvement in law enforcement effectiveness across Pakistan's most populous province and suggest meaningful progress in policing and crime prevention strategies. The Lahore region's exceptional 78 percent decline makes it one of the strongest performers in the provincial data, reflecting intensified policing efforts in the country's second largest city and surrounding areas. The Punjab government has pointed to the data as evidence of success in its law enforcement reform agenda. The report comes at a time when residents have frequently raised concerns about urban crime, particularly motorcycle snatching and street robberies, making the official figures a source of cautious optimism among Lahore's population. Law enforcement officials have credited improved coordination between district police units and the deployment of modern surveillance and tracking technologies as contributing factors to the declining crime statistics. [9]
Sources: [2] The Express Tribune · [6] Pakistan Matters · [9] The News Pakistan