Schoolchildren have filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the ‘hazardous’ level of smog and air pollution in Punjab. On Tuesday morning, Leila Alam and her class fellows sought acting Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh’s attention to the deteriorating air quality in Lahore and its surrounding areas. The children’s lawyer, Rafay Alam, told the court that the Environment Protection Department, Punjab, considered the air quality index (AQI) of 182 as safe to breath, when by international standards the index should not cross 50. Last week, the city’s air quality crossed safe limits and was recorded at well over 400. The city also has continued to be shrouded by a toxic blanket of smog since October.