People commute on a smoggy morning in Peshawar, Pakistan, Nov 11.LAHORE — Pakistan's Punjab province banned most outdoor activities and ordered shops, markets and malls in some areas to close early from Monday to curb illnesses caused by intense air pollution.
While outdoor activities including sports events, exhibitions and festivals, and dining at restaurants have been prohibited, "unavoidable religious rites" are exempt from this direction, the order said. "In addition, schools in smog-affected areas have been closed...the learning of almost 16 million children in Punjab has been disrupted," said Abdullah Fadil, Unicef Representative in the country.