MULTAN – Multan has emerged as Pakistan’s most polluted city, with its Air Quality Index (AQI) soaring to an alarming 987, according to real-time air quality data recorded at 9:00 am on November 11.
The latest pollution rankings place Multan at the top of the list, highlighting the worsening air quality situation across several major cities in the country.
Kahna Nau in Punjab ranked second with an AQI of 734, followed by Faisalabad at 587 and Raiwind at 571. Lahore secured fifth position with an AQI of 499, while Gujranwala recorded 488.
The pollution crisis is not limited to Punjab. Peshawar reported an AQI of 285, followed by Bahawalpur at 248, Sialkot at 229 and Rawalpindi at 211.
Meanwhile, Lahore’s air quality remained hazardous, with the main pollutant identified as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), recorded at 323 micrograms per cubic metre. The city also recorded a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, wind speed of 3 kilometres per hour and humidity of 27 per cent.
Station-level readings across Lahore revealed even more alarming conditions in several localities. CERP Office recorded the city’s highest station AQI of 756, while Allama Iqbal Town registered 752. Burki Road Paragon followed with 712.
Other monitoring stations also reported elevated pollution levels, including ARM at 557, AirWatchPakistan at 523 and ARC Lahore at 458.
The readings indicate that hazardous air pollution is affecting multiple urban centres, with Multan currently leading Pakistan’s city-level pollution rankings.
