Dense fog enveloped parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa overnight between Thursday and Friday, disrupting daily routines and bringing road traffic to a standstill on several motorways.
Traffic flow in multiple cities was severely affected. According to a Motorway Police spokesperson, closures were reported on Motorway M1 from Burhan to Peshawar, Motorway M2 from Thokar Niaz Baig to Khanqah Dogran, M3 from Faizpur to Rajana, and Motorway M11 from Mehmood Booti to Sambial.
Motorway Police have advised drivers to use the Grand Trunk (GT) Road for travel, urging caution, the use of fog lights, and avoiding non-essential trips. They have also recommended staying indoors unless travel is absolutely necessary.
The dense fog has similarly disrupted traffic on the National Highway at several locations in Punjab due to reduced visibility. Meanwhile, smog levels across the country have eased slightly as of Friday. According to the Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, Pakistan ranks third globally in air pollution with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 230, following New Delhi, India, and Dhaka, Bangladesh, in the first and second spots, respectively.
