Smog in Pakistan today is being tracked by satellites that show fewer fire hotspots across the region than the historical average for this point in the year, though conditions vary widely by country. The count refers to heat signals detected from space rather than a tally of fires, so it is an indicator of fire activity, not a direct measure of air quality. The latest update does not include a current pollution reading for any Pakistani city.
What the satellite data shows
The figures draw on the Copernicus Global Wildfire Information System, which uses detections from NASA satellites. Each hotspot may be a wildfire, a burn of crop residue or an industrial heat source, and cloud cover can hide some detections. Burnt-area and emissions numbers are near-real-time estimates that are revised as later imagery is processed, so the picture may shift.
Why haze builds in winter
Farmers in northern India and Pakistan burn crop stubble in two waves, which generally peak in April and November. The impact is usually felt more intensely in colder months, such as November, because cold air traps emissions, dust and smoke in the air. Smog in Pakistan therefore depends on both the timing of the burning and the weather that follows it. Fewer hotspots across the region do not automatically mean cleaner air in every city.
Delhi's winter curbs
Across the border, the government of the Indian capital Delhi announced measures in July 2026 to curb winter pollution. They include doubling car parking charges, staggering office hours, and banning outdoor civil construction other than essential public infrastructure. From November 1 to January 31, government and private offices must run with half their staff in the office and the rest working from home, and violators face prosecution. Earlier curbs applied only when air quality fell below a set level under a graded action plan. They will now run continuously from November 1 to February 28, whatever the air quality index (AQI) reading. No similar Pakistani measures are part of this update.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- July 2026: The Delhi government announced winter pollution measures, including higher car parking charges and a ban on outdoor civil construction other than essential public infrastructure.
- November 1 to January 31: Government and private offices in Delhi must operate with half their staff in the office, with violators facing prosecution.
- November 1 to February 28: Delhi's curbs run continuously, regardless of the AQI reading.
- April and November: Crop stubble burning in northern India and Pakistan generally peaks in these two waves.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Satellite data ke mutabiq is waqt north India aur Pakistan mein aag ke hotspots ki tadad aam ausat se kam hai, lekin har mulk mein haalat mukhtalif hai. Yeh ginti aag ki seedhi tadad nahi, balki satellite ki heat signals hai, aur is mein Pakistan ke kisi shehar ki current air quality shamil nahi. Sardiyon mein fasal ka dhuan aur thandi hawa smog barha sakte hain, isliye apne ilaqe ki air quality par nazar rakhein. Delhi ne sardiyon ki pabandiyan lagayi hain, lekin Pakistan ke liye aisa koi naya faisla is update mein shamil nahi.
