Thick fog has engulfed several parts of Punjab and the federal capital. Tuesday evening’s fog had made traveling difficult for motorists, and the authorities resorted to shutting down airports in Islamabad, Faislabad, and Sialkot on Wednesday.
Traffic jams and road closures were reported in different areas of Punjab, GT Road, and motorways, including M1, M2, and M3 as well as several points of the north-south M11 Lahore-Sialkot Motorway due to low visibility.
Although all flights to the Sialkot, Faislabad, and Lahore airports have been diverted to Islamabad, a new flight schedule by the airport authorities is yet to be announced.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has advised travelers to call its helpline to confirm flight schedules before leaving for the airport.
As per reports, the estimated visibility at Islamabad Airport was 20 meters. Consequently, several flights operations were disrupted. Flights PK303 to Karachi and BPK609 to Gilgit were canceled. Likewise, PK32 from Karachi, PK610 from Gilgit, and PK186 from Sharjah were canceled.
A spokesman for PIA stated that flight TK714 from Istanbul to Lahore and flight XY317 from Riyadh were delayed for eight hours due to the heavy fog. He added that flight J9502 from Lahore to Kuwait was unable to depart even after a 10-hour delay, and some flights from Jeddah and Dubai were also canceled.
Keeping in view the harmful level of air pollution and smog that also cause low visibility, the government is making efforts to curb pollution within the nation by imposing a ban on activities that contribute to smog and air pollution.
