Pakistan, Nov. 10 -- Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday linked the worsening smog across the province to large-scale fireworks during Diwali celebrations in India, as Lahore recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 647. In a post on X, she said that polluted winds entering through the eastern corridor from Indian cities contributed to the increase in the provincial capital's AQI.

Marriyum said that local pollution levels were being controlled through measures taken under the direction of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

She added that the government's preventive measures had also proved effective, preventing the AQI from exceeding forecast levels despite the air pollution associated with Diwali celebrations, as h...