Students move court against environmental pollution.

LAHORE -- Schoolchildren have filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the 'hazardous' level of smog and environmental pollution in Punjab.

The writ petition was filed days after Amnesty International, a human rights group, exposed in a statement the government's 'failure to protect people from exposure to hazardous air in Punjab risks violating their human rights to life and health'.

The court has directed the Punjab government to file its reply in the writ petition filed by the students. In the petition, the students sought the attention of the Lahore High Court chief justice to the deteriorating air quality in Lahore and its surrounding areas. Through Rafay Alam Advocate, the children informed the court that the Environment Protection Department, Punjab, considered the air quality index (AQI) of 182 as safe to breath, when by international standards the index should not cross 50.

Last week, the city's air quality crossed safe limits and was recorded at well over 400. The city also has continued to be shrouded by a toxic blanket of smog since October.

Experts are of the view that children and elderly persons are most vulnerable to the dirty air.

However, the rights group in its statement advised the people in Lahore to...

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