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ISLAMABAD: Swiss air monitor index IQAir ranked Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore as the most polluted in the world on Wednesday, recording its Air Quality Index (AQI) at 331 as it continues to choke from toxic winter smog. 

Lahore faces worsening smog each winter from crop burning, vehicle emissions and industrial pollution that threaten public health and daily life. Smog can cause sore throats, eye irritation and respiratory illnesses, while long-term exposure increases the risk of stroke, heart disease and lung cancer. 

The global air monitoring index said Lahore’s AQI was recorded at 331, deeming it at the “hazardous” level while its Particulate Matter (PMI) was recorded at 2.5 around 7:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday.

“PM2.5 concentration is currently 48.1 times the World Health Organization (WHO) annual PM2.5 guideline value,” IQAir said. 

India’s capital New Delhi was ranked at number two with an AQI of 290, while the China’s Beijing recorded an AQI of 228, making it the third most polluted city worldwide. 

IQAir added Pakistan’s commercial hub Karachi, which ranked at number 10 on its list of world’s most polluted cities on Wednesday, recorded an AQI of 124. The air monitor recorded its AQI as “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

“PM2.5 concentration is currently nine times the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline value,” IQAir said about Karachi. 

Smog season begins in late October, peaks from November to January and lasts through February.

Earlier in October, the government in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province conducted its first anti-smog gun operation, which helped lower the city’s unhealthy air quality levels. Anti-smog trucks sprayed fine water mist across the city to help settle dust and pollutants.

Pakistan’s main urban centers routinely rank among the most polluted cities in the world, with vehicular emissions remaining one of the top contributors to air pollution.

This severe air pollution also undermines economic productivity and diminishes the quality of life for millions of residents.

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said on Wednesday that Pakistan Customs had foiled an attempt to clear bulletproof automotive glass using forged documents at the Taftan border crossing with Iran.

The Taftan crossing, in Balochistan’s Chagai district at the frontier with Iran, is one of Pakistan’s key border gateways for trade and also a hotspot for smuggling of fuel, steel and other goods from Iran into Pakistan, according to multiple reports.  

Smugglers have long exploited the 909-kilometer Iran-Pakistan border, with weak surveillance and collusion enabling large-scale illicit trade. 

“An FIR has been registered against the importer, clearing agent, and others under the Customs Act, 1969 for mis-declaration and forgery to avoid payment of legitimate duties and taxes and circumvent the import restrictions,” a statement from FBR said.

The case highlights the continuing challenge authorities face at Taftan in cracking down on misuse of the trade route for smuggling and mis-declaration.

According to a release issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the consignment was declared on 27 September 2025 by M/s Pak Armoring Pvt. Ltd. (NTN 3111342) as “replacement automotive safety glass”, but inspection found it contained 11,000 kg of bullet-proof automotive safety glass under PCT heading 7007.2111, a restricted import requiring a valid Ministry of Interior NOC. 

The genuine NOC submitted belonged to a different company, M/s Pak Armoring (Pvt.) Ltd. (NTN 398348-1), which denied any link to the consignment. 

The duty and tax evasion was estimated at Rs 7.55 million ($27,000).

According to the FBR statement, customs officials said the investigation also revealed the importer, Mr.Umer Iqbal Butt, had uploaded documents under another name, Deluxe Enterprises, in the WeBOC system.