LHC wants 50pc attendance in offices due to smog

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday ordered the Punjab government to ensure 50 percent attendance of employees in private offices, at least for the next seven days, due to the worsening smog situation in the province.

Justice Shahid Karim rejected a suggestion about closure of schools in case the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded 400 mark in a particular area. However, he directed the provincial government to issue a notification on the same lines as the lockdown notifications during the pandemic, requiring the private offices to ensure 50 per cent work from home for at least one week. The judge ordered the government to take similar measures at the government offices which are to a large extent feasible enough to be implemented.