Smog forces stars to protest

Celebrities entreat authorities to act

Weather conditions keep dropping to an all-time low for Lahoris, and it seems that the cultural climate is also being forced to submit. Those anticipating the upcoming Kaavish concert might be disheartened to learn that the band is taking a step back due to the thick shroud of smog polluting the city.

Announcing the update on Instagram, the band’s official handle wrote, “Due to the weather conditions in Lahore, we are holding off ticket sales for a few days to evaluate the situation in terms of weather and possible event bans in the city.”

However, the musicians aren’t the only celebrities plagued by the city-wide plight. Veteran actor Hina Bayat voiced her grievances in an Instagram video, referring to the consequential halting of education and business as equivalent to putting on a “band-aid” on the end of authorities.

She further stated that the government must instead focus on employing experts in order to rid the city and province of Punjab of this contamination or else the long-term effects of this issue will become detrimental. “Not everyone can afford to sit in a plane and fly off to Europe or America, where the air is clean,” she stressed.

Echoing a similar sentiment, fellow veteran actor Simi Raheal wrote on Instagram Stories, “Lahore is dying and no one is doing anything to save it! Not everyone has the option of going to London!”

As per a recent CNN report, the record-high levels of smog are so persistent that the shroud can be viewed from space. On Monday, the contamination crossed the 1,200 point on the air quality index, after cutting across the 1,000 mark several times this week. These levels of toxicity are alarming, to say the least.

Earlier, other celebrities also took to their social media platforms to speak out against the declining weather conditions. Saba Qamar pleaded on Instagram Stories, “Dear Lahore, I just want to breathe. The smog is thick, suffocating, and I can feel it in every breath. For those of us with asthma, it’s more than just discomfort. It’s a struggle to live each moment. Please, clear skies, come back soon.”

Nadia Jamil also issued an urgent statement on her Instagram handle to raise awareness on the gravity of the issue. “You can live without food and water for a few days. You can survive without cars, roads, and buildings. We cannot survive for more than a few minutes without breathing. We cannot breathe effectively without clean air,” she wrote, imploring those in power to act.