WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday called moves to impeach him over abuse of power in the Iran war a farce that would fail.
Hegseth made the comment at a news conference a day after US Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced eight articles of impeachment against him.
In his first Pentagon news conference since May, Hegseth said attempts to impeach President Donald Trump had failed and added: “They will fail again.”
“This is not patriotism. This is sabotage,” he said.
The CSE All-Share index settled 2.75% higher at 22,123.39 points.
Commercial Bank of Ceylon and Dialog Axiata were the top boost to the index, up 4.28% and 4.88%, respectively, on the day.
Trading volume on the index rose to 249.3 million shares from 144.4 million shares in the previous session.
The equity market’s turnover rose to 7.91 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($23.81 million) from 3.33 billion rupees in the previous session, according to exchange data.
Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading stocks worth 1.26 billion rupees, while domestic investors were net buyers, purchasing shares worth 7.85 billion rupees, the data showed.
LAHORE: The lawyer representing Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that the senior PTI leader, who is currently incarcerated at Kot Lakhpat jail, was taken to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) days after suffering a fall.
Qureshi has been indicted in multiple cases pertaining to the May 9, 2023 riots and has remained behind bars since August 2023. In July 2024, the PTI leader was indicted by a Lahore anti-terrorism court in a case registered by the Shadman police over allegedly attacking and burning the police station.
Speaking to Dawn, his counsel Rana Mudassar Umar said: “[Qureshi] was taken to PIC today as he fainted and suffered a fall a few days ago. We had submitted an application in the anti-terrorism court; however, due to holidays, the issue was delayed.”
He said that Qureshi was being held under observation for 24 hours, “after which it will be decided whether he has to be admitted to the hospital”.
Last week, Qureshi’s daughter, Meher Bano, in a post on the social media platform X, said that she had learnt about her father’s fall from “family after they met him in Kot Lakhpat jail”.
“Three-and-half years ago a hale and hearty lion heart was sent to jail on trumped up charges … For over two years, he has been in Kot Lakhpat jail now facing ludicrous and false charges relating to May 9. He has been acquitted multiple times but [remains] behind bars due to the government’s malafide,” she alleged.
Qureshi’s son, Zain, said on Wednesday that he met his father in jail, where he mentioned that he had collapsed while walking within his jail barracks.
“I request the prison authorities to immediately arrange for a CT scan so that his health condition can be thoroughly assessed. Furthermore, he should be taken to a qualified dentist for the treatment of a cracked tooth,” he said on X.
On Nov 6, a meeting of the PTI core committee also expressed concern over Qureshi’s “fall and the resulting impact on his health”.
The committee called for the relevant courts, the government and the prison administration to immediately transfer Qureshi to a hospital and ensure his complete medical examination and necessary treatment.
In December last year, Qureshi, who is also a former foreign minister, underwent a procedure to remove his gallbladder at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute. Prior to that, he was taken to the PIC in May after complaining of heart pain.
ISLAMABAD: The federal government spent more than Rs5 trillion on devolved provincial subjects and on ministries created on Council of Common Interests (CCI) matters in violation of the Constitution, the head of a Senate panel claimed on Tuesday.
Citing data from the report of the Auditor General of Pakistan, Senator Barrister Zamir Hussain Ghumro, chairing a sub-committee of the Senate Functional Committee on Devolution, said the figure was equivalent to more than $18 billion.
The convener said the country was facing twin issues of exorbitant federal expenditure and heavy borrowing totalling $135bn.
“At present, federal government expenditure stands at around Rs19 trillion, while total tax and non-tax revenue was Rs20tr, leaving nothing for the provinces and forcing the federal government to resort to heavy borrowing,” Ghumro said.
The PPP senator contended that had the government implemented the 18th Amendment, devolved provincial matters and handed over CCI matters to the permanent secretariat of the CCI as envisaged under Article 154 of the Constitution, the country would not have needed handouts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
During the last 15 years, the IMF gave Pakistan $15bn, while the government spent $18bn to $20bn on devolved ministries and institutions, he claimed.
“Had this amount been spent on infrastructure and social development, Pakistan would have been a different country.
“A taxpayer’s hard-earned money had been consigned to unauthorised expenditure,” he added.
The convener said the federal government makes two kinds of expenditure from the Federal Consolidated Fund: “charged expenditure” on remuneration and other perks of the president, Senate chair and deputy chair, National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker, auditor general, high court and Supreme Court judges; and debt servicing, which the NA does not vote on, and “other expenditure” in the form of demands for grants by federal ministries created on federal subjects.
“It must not spend a penny on provincial or other purposes,” Senator Ghumro stressed.
“This is taxpayers’ money paid to the federal government to be spent for the purposes and services rendered by the federal government under the Constitution.
“The federal government is not obliged to provide health, education, housing, sanitation, water or other services for which the Constitution empowers provincial governments.”
Senator Ghumro added: “A citizen cannot pay the federal government for purposes and services not rendered by it under the Constitution; hence such unauthorised expenditure of more than Rs5tr amounts to gross misuse of authority under the law and Constitution and must be accounted for legally.”
He said neither the Ministry of Finance can send demands for grants for such expenditure nor the auditor general or Accountant General of Pakistan can authorise it.
They have to see that the expenditure is for purposes and services to be provided by the federal government under the Constitution, he said.
“Those matters are specifically mentioned in the Federal Legislative List. All powers under Article 142 are vested in the provinces except those enumerated for the federation in the Federal List.”
Senator Ghumro said that, under Article 154 (functions and rules of procedure of CCI) read with Article 97 (extent of executive authority of federation), executive authority over subjects mentioned in the Federal Legislative List’s Part II is to be exercised by the CCI and not the federal cabinet.
The convener noted that the CCI and Cabinet Division had sent summaries to the prime minister to abolish 24 ministries and institutions, thus curtailing federal expenditure, but the prime minister had yet to respond.
He said that, even otherwise, such ministries would become redundant as the Auditor General of Pakistan and the finance ministry would not allow such expenditure.
He directed the CCI and Cabinet Division to send a fresh note to the prime minister for abolition of ministries on provincial and CCI matters.
In July, the Functional Committee on Devolution had expressed serious concerns over the re-establishment of federal ministries on subjects devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment.
It had also constituted a sub-committee to examine the alleged violations.
During a meeting of that sub-committee last month, senators sought a probe into a staggering Rs2.6 trillion expenditure by the federal government on education and health ministries.
Provinces’ share in federal appointments
The sub-committee also took up the matter of shares of provinces in federal appointments in ministries and corporations.
The Establishment Division informed the committee that, as per its instructions, 5,000 jobs of Balochistan had been advertised to rectify its share as required under Article 38(g) of the Constitution.
Senator Ghumro said the committee had identified a shortage of more than 30,000 jobs in Balochistan’s share, which must be filled. The convener noted that a shortage of more than 80,000 jobs had been pointed out in Sindh, and that positions must be advertised to rectify it.
The Federal Public Service Commission secretary informed the sub-committee that appointments for the shares of Sindh and Balochistan in services would be expedited as they had cleared the earlier backlog. He said a special CSS examination was conducted for these provinces.
The sub-committee observed that there was a meagre number of appointments of secretaries, CEOs and other high positions from Sindh and Balochistan.
The convener said Article 38(g) envisages shares in all grades, and the federal government must submit a grade-wise position in grades 18 to 22 in 15 days.
It must expedite the process through ministries in grades 1-15 positions, by FPSC in grades 16 and 17 positions and in grades 18 to 22 by the federal government and the prime minister. Compliance must be substantive and practical, he said.
The Senate panel called for implementation, rather than “statements of intent”.
It also expressed displeasure over the non-submission of a report by the information ministry, which had sought a month to devolve print media organisations and functions at the federal level and develop a mechanism to give broadcasting rights to provinces under Article 159 of the Constitution.
It directed the ministry to finalise all issues in 15 days and submit compliance.
SWABI: A press release issued by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) said on Tuesday that there was no threat to the integrity of Tarbela Dam or any of its critical structures a day after a rock collapse at the 5th Extension Project (T-5) site caused a surge of water to enter nearby work areas.
On Monday, a rock mass collapsed at the T-5 construction site. An emergency was declared following the collapse; construction work was suspended and workers were directed to move to safer areas. However, no loss of life was reported in the incident.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the authority said Wapda Chairman retired Lt Muhammad Saeed visited the site on Monday and Tuesday in the wake of the incident to review the situation.
“The chairman visited … the intake structure, tunnel, power house and other important sites of the project. The consultants, contractor and Wapda project management briefed him on the current situation and the measures taken so far,” it said.
Following this, the chairman presided over a meeting at the project site, where the possible causes of the incident were discussed in detail, it added.
“Short, medium and long term preventive measures to handle such situations and strategies to address the current issue were deliberated upon. Immediate response measures were also finalised and their execution initiated,” it said.
“However, the consultants, contractor and Wapda teams were unanimous in their assessment that, as of now, there is no threat to the integrity of main Tarbela dam or any of its critical structures,” the statement said.
According to the handout, the Wapda chairman directed the consultants to submit a detailed report covering all aspects of the incident at the earliest. He further directed the consultants, contractor and Wapda project team to execute remedial measures immediately, and to finalise the contingency plan to minimise the delay in the overall completion of the project due to the incident. He also ordered a departmental inquiry to probe the incident.
“The Ministry for Water Resources had also sought initial assessment report of the incident from Wapda which has been submitted today,” it said, adding that the Minister for Water Resources Mian Muhammad Mueen Watto had also been briefed by the Wapda chairman.
Meanwhile, Wapda engineers and technical team were busy restoring and repairing the damaged parts of the project on Tuesday, according to officials.
“The public should know that the situation is completely under control and no one should worry about the incident,” Swabi Deputy Commissioner Nasarullah Khan said.
He said that he, the deputy commissioner of Haripur and the officials concerned were dealing with the situation under a coordinated strategy.
DC Nasarullah said that the increase in the flows of the Indus River downstream had been authorised by Wapda’s technical team under safety and technical measures.
Separately, an official present at the site of the project urged the public not to pay heed to unconfirmed reports and to refer only to information from official sources.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with a Chinese businesswoman alleged to be a spy for Beijing facilitated the shipment of at least $7.5 billion worth of the company’s chips to Chinese firms, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing two people who know her.
Alice Huang, along with her husband and sister, built a network of companies across China and Singapore to acquire Nvidia chips, according to the report. Alice Huang and Jensen Huang are not related.
At the center of the network was Shanghai Century Litong, a China-based company founded in June 2023 that secured preferred cloud partner status with Nvidia by October, giving it priority access to the company’s chips, The Information reported.
Century Litong was initially linked to Alice Huang’s sister, Huang Yu, through a founding shareholder that was ultimately controlled by Huang Yu before exiting the company in 2024, according to the report
When orders for Nvidia chips subject to US export restrictions stalled, Alice Huang used ties to Nvidia and its distributors to secure supplies, helping move about 240,000 H100, H200 and some A100 chips into China, the report said.
Century Litong rented computing capacity and operated data centers using Nvidia chips, including some barred from sale to China. Some of the chips ultimately served Alibaba, Tencent and smaller Chinese AI labs, The Information reported.
Alice Huang also held an executive position at Singapore-registered Megaspeed, which was linked to Century Litong and has been investigated by US authorities over Nvidia chip shipments from Southeast Asia to China, the report said.
Megaspeed obtained Nvidia chips by renting computing capacity from Southeast Asian data centers to Chinese customers or by physically shipping hardware into China. Hardware acquired by Speedmatrix, a Malaysian subsidiary established by Megaspeed in 2024, later reached Century Litong, according to The Information.
The report said Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, leveraged her relationship with Jensen Huang to build credibility while remaining vague about her role and avoiding a paper trail.
Nvidia did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alibaba, Tencent, Megaspeed and Shanghai Century Litong were not immediately available for comment outside regular business hours. Reuters could not independently verify the report.
Nvidia’s board on Sunday launched an internal investigation, while the FBI is examining whether 63-year-old Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. Huang has told employees he was unfaithful to his wife but provided no details about the relationship.
Gold prices fell more than 1% on Tuesday after hawkish remarks from a US Federal Reserve official, who said aggressive monetary policy may be needed if inflation continues to rise, weighed on bullion ahead of the release of US consumer price data.
Spot gold was down 1.6% to $4,071.07 per ounce by 1153 GMT. US gold futures for December delivery fell 0.9% to $4,079.80 per ounce.
“There is a bitter turnaround on the rate and dollar side. Rates are not falling anymore as before,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.
The dollar steadied on Tuesday following a bumpy few days, helped by hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller, with US inflation data due that could lift the currency further if rate hike bets strengthen.
Short-dated Treasury yields jumped in London trade on Tuesday after Waller’s comments.
The Federal Reserve ought to raise short-term borrowing costs next month even if government data shows inflation cooled last month, Waller said on Tuesday, and should consider an upsized half-point rate hike if the inflation picture worsens.
Traders currently see about a 99% probability that the Fed will raise rates in December after the comment, according to CME’s FedWatch tool.
Although gold is typically seen as an inflation hedge, higher interest rates tend to reduce the appeal of non-yielding bullion.
Market focus now turns to US consumer price data at 1330 GMT later today and producer price figures due on Friday, which could shape expectations for the Fed’s next move.
Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, likely increased a moderate 0.2% last month from September, economists polled by Reuters say.
“If we get something hotter than 0.3%, that could once again add some of that pressure on rate hike fears. So that could be gold negative, a number below or at 0.3% will remain supportive for gold,” said Nitesh Shah, commodity strategist at WisdomTree.
Among other metals, spot silver slipped 2.1% to $52.27 per ounce and palladium dropped 1.3% to $1,027.97.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday called for a more representative multipolar global order, saying Pakistan believed international cooperation and respect for agreed rules were essential to addressing growing geopolitical rivalries and global uncertainty.
Addressing the inaugural session of the seventh Margalla Dialogue in Islamabad, Dar said intensifying competition among major powers, the growing overlap between geopolitics and economics, and rapid technological advances were reshaping the international landscape.
“The answer lies in strength at home and effective diplomacy abroad,” Dar said, identifying domestic economic resilience and proactive diplomacy as key to Pakistan’s ability to navigate an increasingly uncertain world.
He said the international security architecture was facing mounting pressure from strategic competition and the weakening of arms control agreements. Political divisions were also undermining multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations, he added.
Dar said Pakistan supported a multipolar international system that provided a more meaningful voice to a wider range of countries, stressing that such an arrangement required effective multilateralism and adherence to internationally agreed rules.
Highlighting emerging technological challenges, he said artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities and biotechnology were creating both opportunities and risks, while existing institutions were struggling to keep pace with these developments.
Referring to the situation in Gaza, Dar warned that the principle of “might is right” was gaining ground in international affairs. He said Pakistan had used its 2025-2026 membership of the UN Security Council to advocate the peaceful settlement of disputes.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement to promote regional stability, including its facilitation of talks between the United States and Iran and engagement with China, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt.
On South Asia, Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to protecting its sovereignty while pursuing a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
He stressed that strengthening the domestic economy and expanding economic diplomacy were crucial to Pakistan’s ability to respond to changing global dynamics.
Earlier, Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) President Lt Gen (retd) Majid Ehsan said unilateralism, geopolitical competition and conflicts across several regions were placing the existing international order under increasing strain.
Welcoming participants to the seventh edition of the dialogue, Ehsan said the forum, launched in 2019, had evolved into an international platform bringing together academics, policymakers and practitioners to discuss global, regional and domestic challenges.
Describing the current geopolitical environment as a game of Tetris, he said countries were facing rapidly changing strategic choices while their room for manoeuvre was shrinking.
“On the global geostrategic Tetris board, the pieces containing geopolitical choices are falling faster while time and space is running out,” he said.
Ehsan outlined three possible trajectories for the emerging international order: a division of the world into spheres of influence dominated by the United States and China; a return to cooperation between the two powers; or a hybrid arrangement combining bipolarity and multipolarity.
Under the third scenario, countries could pursue different partnerships in infrastructure, technology, energy and security rather than align exclusively with one major power.
He also warned that the international framework established after World War II, including the UN Charter, Geneva Conventions and international legal arrangements, was facing pressure from unilateral actions.
Citing conflicts in Gaza, Iran, Ukraine and Afghanistan, as well as crises in Africa, Ehsan said the international system had struggled to ensure peace and stability.
He said Russia’s war in Ukraine continued to affect Europe’s security, energy markets and economy, while the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel threatened global energy prices, inflation and supply chains.
The two-day dialogue, being held under the theme “Global Order in Transition: Navigating Strategic Uncertainty”, features discussions on global power realignment, connectivity and competition between South and West Asia, technological transformation, national resilience and non-traditional security challenges.
Pakistan strengthened their hold on the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, declaring their first innings at 434 for nine before reducing the visitors to 114 for three at the close of the second day at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Sri Lanka, who still trail by 320 runs, will resume their innings on the third day with Kamindu Mendis unbeaten on 40 and captain Dhananjaya de Silva on 22. Their resistance came after Pakistan’s pace attack made early inroads, although bad light brought an end to play after 27.1 overs.
Resuming at 281 for five, Pakistan built on their overnight position through a series of valuable contributions, with Saud Shakeel and debutant Ghazi Ghori adding 96 runs for the sixth wicket.
Saud, who had reached 57 on the opening day, continued to anchor the innings but narrowly missed out on a century, falling for 93 off 199 balls after being caught behind off Asitha Fernando.
Ghazi provided useful support with 48 before his dismissal brought debutant Arafat Minhas to the crease. Minhas made an impressive contribution, striking 52 off 72 deliveries, including nine boundaries and a six, to further strengthen Pakistan’s position.
He was eventually dismissed by Dilshan Madushanka, while Razaullah added a brisk 10 before Pakistan declared in the 107th over.
The innings was notable for the number of half-centuries, with five Pakistan batters reaching the milestone. Three of those came from debutants, as Tayyab Arif scored 57, Mohammad Taha made 51 and Minhas contributed 52. Captain Babar Azam also registered a half-century, while Shakeel’s 93 proved the highest individual score.
Fernando and Madushanka shared six wickets between them, claiming three apiece, but Sri Lanka struggled to contain Pakistan’s batting depth.
In reply, Pakistan’s fast bowlers quickly put the visitors under pressure. Mohammad Abbas provided the breakthrough by removing opener Pasindu Sooriyabandara for a duck, caught behind, before debutant Saqib Khan struck to dismiss Dinesh Chandimal for just one.
Lahiru Udara attempted to stabilise the innings with a fighting 42, but Saqib struck again, having him caught behind by Ghazi to leave Sri Lanka in further trouble.
With three wickets down, Mendis and de Silva showed greater composure, putting together an unbeaten 49-run partnership to prevent further setbacks. Mendis looked particularly assured, reaching 40, while de Silva remained not out on 22 as the pair negotiated Pakistan’s attack.
However, the fading light prevented Pakistan from making further inroads, forcing the umpires to call an early close.
Pakistan will resume on the third day firmly in control, with a substantial first-innings lead and three Sri Lankan wickets already in hand.
The visitors, meanwhile, face the difficult task of rebuilding their innings and narrowing the deficit, with Mendis and de Silva carrying the responsibility of providing the resistance needed to keep them in the contest.
LAHORE: Satellite data detected 16,714 likely crop-residue fires in Punjab between Oct 1 and Nov 9, while Lahore’s average PM2.5 concentration was eight times the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guideline value, according to a report by the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative (PAQI) that questioned the link between Diwali fireworks in India and the city’s pollution.
The report, released on Tuesday, said the number of likely crop-residue fires in Punjab, Pakistan, remained almost unchanged from the corresponding period last year.
Lahore’s average PM2.5 concentration stood at 126 micrograms per cubic metre during the period, exceeding the 24-hour National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) on all 40 days for which valid data were available. The average was 11pc lower than in the corresponding period in 2025.
Satellite instruments detected 18,825 fires across Punjab, Pakistan, 89 per cent of which were classified as likely crop-residue burning. The highest daily count was recorded on Nov 1, with 1,102 detections.
The 24-hour National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) were exceeded on all 40 days for which valid data were available. The average concentration was 11pc lower than during the corresponding period in 2025.
Sheikhupura recorded the highest number of fires at 2,559, followed by Jhang (2,192), Okara (2,062), Hafizabad (1,893) and Gujranwala (1,417). The five districts accounted for 54pc of the total detections.
The report found a positive correlation between upwind fire activity and PM2.5 levels in Lahore. On days when air trajectories passed over areas where burning was taking place, the average concentration reached 175 micrograms per cubic metre, compared with 93 micrograms on other days.
A similar pattern was observed in Multan, where average PM2.5 levels reached 203 micrograms on days influenced by fires, compared with 88 micrograms on other days. In Bahawalpur, the corresponding figures were 125 and 65 micrograms.
However, the report cautioned that the association did not establish the precise contribution of crop-residue burning to urban pollution, as stagnant weather conditions and reduced atmospheric dispersion also contributed to the accumulation of pollutants.
The number of likely crop-residue fires in Punjab, Pakistan, was 8pc above the 2020-2025 average, although the comparable satellite record showed a 1pc decline from 2025.
The assessment also examined whether fireworks during Diwali celebrations in India on Nov 8 had contributed to deteriorating air quality in Punjab.
It found that easterly winds carried air from Indian territory towards Pakistan during the night. Of the 48 back trajectories arriving in Lahore, Kasur and Sialkot between 9pm on Nov 8 and midnight on Nov 10, 45 had passed over Indian territory within the preceding 12 hours, most frequently near Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Jammu.
However, the report said the available evidence did not support attributing Lahore’s poor air quality after Diwali to fireworks across the border.
Lahore’s average PM2.5 concentration between 6pm on Nov 8 and 1am on Nov 10 was 234 micrograms per cubic metre, 10pc higher than the average recorded during the same hours over the preceding seven days.
In comparison, the average concentration in Kasur increased by 27pc and in Sialkot by 33pc, while Narowal recorded a 2pc decline.
The increase was greater in cities farther from the international border. Faisalabad, located 130 kilometres from the border, recorded a 40pc increase, while Multan, 180km away, also saw a 40pc rise.
The average increase in the four border cities — Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot and Narowal — was 36 micrograms per cubic metre, compared with 85 micrograms in Faisalabad and Multan.
The report noted that pollution transported from across the border would be expected to cause a greater increase in border areas than in cities farther inland. However, the observed pattern did not support that explanation.
Sialkot was an exception, recording a 37pc increase in PM2.5 during the night after Diwali, with air trajectories passing over the Jammu area.
The assessment also found that emissions from New Delhi had not reached Lahore during the period analysed. Air from Delhi entered Pakistan near Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur only after 3am on Nov 10, with its closest approach to Lahore remaining 266 kilometres away.
The report said distinguishing between emissions from fireworks and smoke from agricultural fires required chemical analysis of particulate matter, including elements such as potassium, strontium and barium, which Pakistani monitoring stations did not measure.
Air quality improves
Meanwhile, the Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EPCCD) reported an improvement in Lahore’s air quality on Monday following emergency mitigation and enforcement operations.
The city’s average air quality index (AQI) reading, recorded at 489 at 9am, fell to 232 by 3pm — a reduction of 257 points, or approximately 53pc — according to the department’s monitoring network.
Data from all 11 monitoring stations showed a decline in AQI readings during the period. Egerton Road recorded the biggest improvement, with its reading falling from 500 to 167, followed by GT Road, where the AQI dropped from 500 to 172.
DHA Phase 6, Shahdara, Barki Road and Punjab University also recorded improvements, as did Wagah Border, Gulberg III, Kahna Nau, Safari Park and Multan Road.
The department said multiple anti-smog guns had been deployed along high-traffic corridors and at dust-prone locations and pollution hotspots, while mist-sprinkling operations covered around 640 kilometres of designated routes.
The government had earlier warned of deteriorating air quality in Lahore, Kasur and adjoining border districts on Nov 9 and 10, identifying Diwali fireworks, agricultural residue burning in Indian Punjab, easterly winds and stagnant atmospheric conditions as potential contributing factors.
A special assessment issued on Nov 8 had cited 2,347 incidents of crop-residue burning in Indian Punjab up to Nov 4. Of these, 1,081 were recorded in the districts of Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Amritsar. It had also warned that smoke from Diwali fireworks could reach Lahore within five to 13 hours, depending on wind conditions.
EPCCD Secretary Silwat Saeed said the department was responding to deteriorating air quality through coordinated enforcement, real-time environmental monitoring and targeted field interventions.
She said the department was using its monitoring infrastructure and Punjab Climate Watch data to identify pollution hotspots and direct operational teams to areas requiring immediate action.
Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Director General Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh said the department had adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards major sources of air pollution.
He said Quick Response Units were responding to satellite-detected fire anomalies and reports of crop-residue burning, with field teams being dispatched to extinguish fires and take action against those responsible.
He added that inspections of factories, brick kilns and other emission-generating units had been intensified, while anti-smog gun operations were being carried out at full capacity in Lahore.
The director general said the improvement recorded at all 11 monitoring stations was encouraging, but enforcement, surveillance and mitigation operations would continue.
The PAQI report indicated a very high number of fires in areas upwind of Lahore on Nov 10, 11 and 12, with 642, 668 and 617 fires, respectively, expected under forecast wind conditions.
Rain forecast
Separately, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Tuesday forecast rain in most districts of Punjab over the next two days, saying it was likely to reduce smog but intensify cold weather.
According to a PDMA alert issued on Tuesday, Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad and Sheikhupura are among the districts likely to receive rainfall.
Rain has also been forecast in Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Attock, Chakwal, Khushab, Bhakkar, Sargodha, Murree and adjoining areas.
The authority also forecast strong winds, rain and isolated hailstorms in Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Multan and adjoining areas.
The PDMA directed commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province to remain alert and advised citizens to avoid unnecessary travel during storms and seek shelter in safe places. It also warned people against staying in open areas during thunderstorms and lightning.
