Lahore, Nov 7 (IANS): A three-year-old girl has filed a petition against the local government in Pakistan's Punjab as the province, especially its capital Lahore, continues to reel under the severe impact of smog, keeping the air quality in an extremely hazardous zone.

On Thursday morning, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Lahore stayed on top of the global rankings with levels crossing much above the 800-mark, making the air seriously dangerous for the residents.

As per the Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, Lahore has been on top of the cities with the world’s highest AQI. The levels have even exceeded the 1000-mark on many occasions.

The extended and prolonged bad weather has made it impossible for citizens to venture out of their homes. The hospitals too are getting filled up with people suffering from respiratory issues. The bad air quality has left thousands of citizens of the province vulnerable to respiratory diseases with the provincial government and doctors advising all to wear masks whenever they venture out of their homes.

The provincial government has imposed a smog emergency across the province and has shut down all educational institutions up to the higher secondary level in Lahore and other districts till November 17.

Meanwhile, a three-year-old girl has reached out to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday, filing a case against the provincial government over its failure to control the air pollution.

The petitioner, Amal Sekhera, through her lawyer maintained in the petition that young children and the elderly are severely affected by air pollution and sought justice for herself, friends and the future generations.

"Under Article 99-A of the Constitution, the government is obligated to provide citizens with a clean and healthy environment," the petition stated.

The petition criticised the Punjab government for failing to protect the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan.

Punjab government's senior provincial minister Maryam Aurangzeb has said that the intensity of the smog is expected to continue for at least 10 more days, due to which the educational institutions have been shut down and people have been advised to wear masks.

Many other cities like Multan and Gujranwala are also severely impacted with the ongoing weather conditions.