LAHORE (HRNW) – Smart lockdown has been clamped on Friday on 10 districts of the Punjab, including capital city Lahore, on the directive of the caretaker government as the smog situation worsened.
Educational institutions – schools, colleges and universities – were closed in Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot Narowal, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin districts. The institutions will remain closed on Saturday also.
The caretaker government had taken strong notice of the smog scourge and ordered earlier this month to wear face masks and closure of markets to curb the menace. But, public paid no heed to it. The government again issued a notification a day ago under which timings of markets were also revised.
According to the notification, markets will open today and tomorrow at 3 o’clock while remain shut on Sunday. Motor vehicles will not be allowed on The Mall in Lahore on Sunday while only cyclists will enjoy a ride.
Meanwhile, expressing concerns over the decision regarding the closure of markets, traders demanded that the government should close its offices and banks. Opening markets at 3 pm would cause a great loss to the business community, they added.