The Punjab School Education Department has revised school timings across the province due to worsening smog conditions, with classes now starting at 8:45am. As per the official notification, schools will run from 8:45am to 1:30pm from Monday to Thursday, and until 12:30pm on Fridays. The decision, announced by Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, comes as Lahore topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities on Sunday. According to IQAir, Lahore recorded a hazardous Air Quality Index (AQI) of 349, with PM2.5 levels at 249.5 micrograms per cubic metre — nearly 50 times higher than the WHO’s safe limit. The thick smog has led to poor visibility and rising health issues, including coughing, sore throats, and breathing problems across the region.