ACCORDING to IQAir’s World Air Quality Report 2025, Pakistan recorded the worst air quality among 143 monitored countries, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration more than 13 times the WHO guideline. The Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26 confirms that around 22,000 deaths each year are linl(ed to air pollution. Four of the world’s 10 most polluted cities are in Pal(istan. Lahore is the worst, followed by Faisalabad, Multan and Peshawar. This insight argues that Pal(istan’s urban air pollution crisis stems mainly from local factors, with transport being the largest contributor. Long-term improvements will come from consistent, city-specific reforms rather than temporary emergency measures that emerge each smog season.
Pal(istan’s National Clean Air Policy, approved by the federal cabinet in 2023, attributes 235,000 premature deaths annually to air pollution exposure.
Similarly, the University of Chicago’s Air Quality Life Index suggests that complying with the WHO guideline could extend average life expectancy by 3.3 years, and by more than five in Lahore and Peshawar.
Punjab took the serious step of declaring a health emergency. At the same time, provincial records showed nearly 1.93 million respiratory cases in just one month. Unicef warned that 11m children under five breathe toxic air each day.
The Pakistan Air Quality Initiative’s national landscape report from December 2025, which is the country’s first comprehensive inventory that looks at each city individually, helps clear up a lot of the confusion. In Lahore, transport makes up 35 per cent of PM2.5 levels. RawalpindiIslamabad sees transport as the main source at 53pc; Peshawar is at 51pe, and Karachi stands out as being predominantly industrial, with 49pc from industry and port operations. Since each city faces different pollution sources, the situation calls for tailored solutions.
With Pal(istan’s heavy reliance on roads, transport has emerged as the top urban issue. In Lahore, studies linl( about 36pc of fine-particle pollution to diesel and twostroke exhaust, with twoand three-wheelers being particularly high emitters.
Peshawar’s problem is compounded by over 50,000 unregistered two-stroke engine ricl(shaws, a vehicle class that emits more particulate matter per 1(ilometre than any other on the road. After the decline caused by the 2022 floods, sales bounced bacl( in 2024, making Pal(istan one of the fastestgrowing two-wheeler marl(ets globally.
Many cities have faced similar choices between making long-term structural changes and applying temporary solutions.
Peshawar’s TransPeshawar bus rapidtransit system, which uses hybrid-electric buses, moves over 345,000 passengers daily, making it the busiest BRT in the country. Lahore’s Metrobus and Orange Line together transport more than 250,000 people each day. The RawalpindiIslamabad Metrobus system serves around 135,000 commuters daily, now supported by 160 electric buses imported from China. Expanding and linl(ing these systems is a powerful step, offering the greatest benefits.
Cleaner fuel is most effective when paired with cleaner engines. Pal(istan is now providing Euro-5 fuel nationwide and aims to reach Euro-6 standards by 2030. However, the impact is limited because there is no strict enforcement of vehicle-emission standards; for example, Punjab has only 32 inspection stations to serve over 24m vehicles. Implementing mandatory emission testing and fitness certification could be a simple yet significant step forward.
Improving rail freight and the ML-1 cor-ridor can help reduce heavy diesel truel(ing on urban roads, which in turn can help lower city pollution. That’s a great reason to support the Railways’goalofincreasing its passenger modal share from around 4pc to 20pc.
Renewing thefleet is the next positive step. A trustworthy scrappage scheme for the oldest and most polluting vehicles would be an effective follow-up. Electrification then directly tacl(les the most harmful segment. The National Electric Vehicle Policy 2025-30 aims for 30pc of new vehicle sales to be electric by 2030, supported by over Rs100 billion in incentives. Focusing on twoand three-wheelers offers the fastest path to cleaner city air.
The response should match the problem: a city-specific programme built on mass transit, cleaner fuels and fleet electrification. Paid parl(ing to discourage private vehicle use, organised parking facilities, and a congestion charge in major urban centres would reduce traffic and increase demand for mass transit. Development of public transport infrastructure should be prioritised over the construction of new flyovers and underpasses. Clean air is a strategic priority rather than a seasonal concern. The writer is an assistant research associate at the Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis, National Defence University