Pakistan ’s smog situation has gone from bad to worse as air pollution rose to a record in Lahore. Sensors tracked by the Swiss monitor IQAir recorded an air quality index of 1,300 in the country’s second-largest city at 5 p.m. local time, the highest this year and well beyond a level of 50 that is deemed safe.

The crisis has prompted a flurry of responses from local authorities, as the country grapples with its most severe air pollution event in years. According to several Pakistani media reports the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority had declared smog a “calamity” and instituted emergency measures.

LAHORE: The capital city has been declared the most polluted city in the world, with an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) of 710 on Friday.

Toxic smog has shrouded Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore for days as surging pollution spurs authorities to curb activities and set up a panel to oversee preventive efforts.

Lahore recorded the worst case of air pollution in the world, with the AQI nearing 1600 on Friday. Pakistan Air pollution: As several states in northern India continue to battle worsening air pollution,