Air Quality in Pakistan Is Getting Worse

[Abid Khan]

IQAir air quality index city ranking of Pakistan

What is the air quality index (AQI)?

Before we deep dive into Pakistan’s air quality, we need to understand the air quality index. The air quality index measures outdoor air quality and its impact on human health. Nowadays, we often see reports in the media about the air quality index for cities like Lahore and Karachi, specifically using the US air quality index. The US air quality index is divided into six categories. Higher index values indicate poorer air quality and greater health risks. For easy reference, the index uses color codes: green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and maroon that correspond to good, moderate, unhealthy, very unhealthy, and hazardous, respectively. The air quality index is determined by measuring five major pollutants: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

Daily AQI Color	Levels of Concern	Values of Index	Description of Air Quality
Green	Good	0 to 50	Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
Yellow	Moderate	51 to 100	Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Orange	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	101 to 150	Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.
Red	Unhealthy	151 to 200	Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Purple	Very Unhealthy	201 to 300	Health alert: The risk of health effects is increased for everyone.
Maroon	Hazardous	301 and higher	Health warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected.

 

Air Quality Index of Pakistan

Pakistan’s air quality is deteriorating every year. Major cities of Pakistan have topped the air quality index for the last few years. Due to a lack of implementation of environmental laws, industries do not take the necessary actions to reduce air pollution. Major cities of Pakistan, including Karachi and Lahore, face unhealthy air quality. There are high concentrations of PM 2.5, which cause serious health risks, especially for vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly. According to the 2024 IQAir AQI country ranking, Pakistan was the third worst air quality country. In 2025, all major cities of Pakistan show poor air quality, including Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Gujranwala, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, and Sukkur. Punjab is showing poorer air quality than other provinces.

 

Air quality index of Lahore

Every winter, Lahore receives increased attention regarding air quality due to rising pollution and smog. During this time, the Lahore AQI often shows hazardous levels in the city. Air quality is influenced by multiple factors, including emissions from industries and vehicles, deforestation, and the use of fossil fuels. These human activities contribute to making Lahore one of the most polluted cities in the world. While very few efforts have been made to improve air quality, nature does have its own cleaning processes, and weather changes can temporarily improve conditions. However, more sustained efforts are needed to ensure breathable air in the city. In nearby cities such as Gujranwala and Faisalabad, the air quality situation is often get worse as in Lahore.

 

Air quality index of Karachi

Karachi is not much behind Lahore in terms of the air quality. If appropriate actions are not taken within time, it won’t be long before we see air quality of Karachi getting worse, like Lahore. Karachi is already among the most polluted cities in the world as well.

 

Reasons for poor air quality in Pakistan

There are many reasons for poor air quality in Pakistan however, the major reasons behind poor air quality is industrial emissions and vehicular emissions. We also have poor waste management system and waste disposal system. During winter, it becomes worse due to temperature inversion and climate change. we see thick smoke (smog)  around us.

 

How will the air quality of Pakistan improve

We cannot rely on rain, wind, and temperature change to clean our environment naturally but we need to take dedicated actions to improve our environment. you can protect yourself by using indoor air purifier, using face mask, and avoiding unnecessary travel. Government alone can’t change the air quality. Everyone has to play a role in cleaning our environment starting from proper waste disposal and avoiding throwing trash outside in the city. Avoid use of plastic bags.

 

Together we can improve the air quality of our country. It is not a one man job and it will definitely take time to reverse the impact that we have caused.​