The Punjab government has warned that schools that open before 8:45am will face heavy fines.
Both public and private schools violating the directive will face penalties of up to Rs500,000.
The new directives will remain in effect from November 3, 2025, to January 31, 2026, as part of the province’s winter adjustment plan.
Why are schools closed?
Earlier, the Punjab Education Department revised school timings across the province due to worsening smog conditions.
According to an official notification, the timings for all public and private schools in Punjab have been changed in response to the increase in smog intensity.
According to the new schedule, announced by Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat on Sunday, all schools will now open at 8:45am and close at 1:30pm. Teachers, students, and parents have been directed to follow the new timings.
As per the notification, single-shift schools will operate from 8:45am to 1:30pm, while on Fridays, classes will end at 12:30pm. In double-shift schools, the first shift will run from 8:45am to 1:30pm and the second shift from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Teachers have been instructed to remain on duty from 8:30am to 2:00pm, and from 8:30am to 12:30pm on Fridays.
Punjab’s major cities remain engulfed in heavy smog and hazardous air pollution, as air quality levels have plummeted to dangerous levels across the province.
It is pertinent to mention that on Saturday night, Lahore recorded an AQI of 330, while Karachi’s was 262.
The Environment Department has predicted that Lahore’s air quality will remain unhealthy in the coming days as well.
It is pertinent to mention that the Environment Department of Punjab in it latest advisory stated that polluted easterly winds coming from India are impacting Lahore’s air quality.
