Daily Times

Train and air operations have been severely affected due to fog and weather conditions, causing significant delays and forcing frustrated passengers to resort to protests.

According to reports, heavy fog in Punjab has started causing delays in train arrivals and departures in Karachi. The Khyber Mail train, scheduled to depart from Karachi to Peshawar at 10:15 AM, was delayed by 7 hours and eventually departed at 5:00 AM.

Meanwhile, the Sukkur Express from Karachi, scheduled for departure at 11:15 AM, has still not left. Passengers have faced severe inconvenience due to these delays, prompting passengers of the Khyber Mail and Sukkur Express to protest at the Cantonment Station.

Passengers have expressed frustration, saying that there is no one providing information about the delays. The Sukkur Express regularly departs late, and the Cantonment Station is infested with mosquitoes, leaving women, children, and elderly passengers stranded without assistance. Railway authorities have reportedly stated that tickets will not be refunded and suggested passengers discard their tickets.

Later, the Sukkur Express departed after a 7-hour delay.

Additionally, the Divisional Superintendent’s Office of Pakistan Railways in Lahore issued a statement indicating that due to heavy fog and smog, the schedule of the Shalimar Express from Lahore to Karachi has been altered.

Furthermore, due to severe weather conditions, both national and private airline flights have also been delayed today. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights PK 302 and PK 303 between Karachi and Lahore were unable to take off.

Similarly, Airblue’s flights PA 401 and PA 405 from Karachi to Lahore were delayed, and PIA’s Karachi-Islamabad flights PK 301 and PK 308 were also affected. A private airline’s flight, Serene Air flight ER 503 from Karachi to Islamabad, was also unable to take off.

The Punjab government banned most outdoor activities and imposed restrictions on the retail sector across four districts of the province on Monday, while complying with a directive of the Lahore High Court (LHC) in the wake of hazardous smog that showed no sign of dissipating.

The provincial government ordered all retail businesses in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, and Gujranwala to pull their shutters down by 8pm, except for pharmacies, laboratories, vaccination centres, and other essential services as defined by law.

A notification issued on Monday stated that pharmacies, medical stores, laboratories, vaccination centres, oil depots, tandoors, bakeries, grocery stores, fruit and vegetable shops, meat shops, e-commerce, postal and courier services, and utility services were exempt from these closures.

According to the notification, large departmental stores, however, might only keep their grocery and pharmacy sections open. Besides, the government also banned outdoor activities, including sports programmes, exhibitions, outdoor restaurant seating, and public gatherings after 8pm.

The police had been instructed to enforce these measures strictly to help reduce atmospheric pollution in the affected cities. The notification warned that strict action will be taken for any violations of these restrictions.