Dense smog disrupts motorways and air travel in Pakistan

The motorway authorities banned all types of traffic on all intercity motorways on Monday due to significantly reduced visibility caused by dense smog across Punjab.

Multan, Bahawalpur, Rajanpur and other motorway terminals were closed to the traffic. 

According to media reports, Motorway M2 from Lahore to Bhera, motorway M3 from Lahore to Darkhana, and Motorway M4 from Multan to Pindi Bhattia were closed to all types of vehicles.

Similarly, the interchange of motorway M5 from Multan to Sukkur and Lahore Sialkot motorway was closed.

It is pertinent to mention that smog, which is severely affecting daily life in Punjab, has surpassed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Lahore, Multan, and Peshawar have topped the list of the world's most polluted cities.

The civil aviation authority has delayed and canceled flights from Multan, Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad airports due to extremely low visibility.

Privy sources in Multan stated that at least 34 flights across the country were delayed due to smog and administrative problems. The flight from Muscat to Multan landed in Islamabad due to low visibility, while the private air flight from Jeddah to Multan landed in Lahore.

According to the sources, the private flight from Muscat to Lahore landed in Sialkot, and the private airline flight from Dubai to Lahore landed in Islamabad as the visibility limit was reduced early in the morning. 

Moreover, two domestic flights to Multan and Karachi and flights of foreign airlines to Jeddah were grounded. 

Meanwhile, two flights from Multan to Riyadh were also cancelled.

Apart from this, the arrival and departure of flights from Lahore to Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Istanbul, and Jeddah to Karachi, Madinah and Al Ain to Islamabad were delayed.

Flights from Islamabad to Jeddah, Riyadh, Istanbul, and Bahrain were delayed and flights from Sharjah and Istanbul to Karachi departed late due to the smog.

Similarly, the PIA flight from Karachi to Lahore was delayed by four hours from the schedule.