Lahore High Court asks offices, schools to make work-from-home policy

During Friday's hearing of the cases against smog in the provincial capital, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the administration to formulate a work-from-home policy for schools and offices.

Justice Shahid Karim heard petitions against the failure to take effective measures to combat smog.

Geo News reported that during the hearing, the complainant raised the point of cutting down trees in the Township area of Lahore to build depots for electric buses. There are reports that the trees are cut and sold in the timber market.

Upon this, the court summoned the Secretary of Transport of Punjab and ordered an investigation into the matter to find out where the trees that were cut actually ended up. “If the matter of cutting trees is true, a case will be registered against those responsible,” the court ordered. 

On the matter of large amounts of vehicular emissions in the city, the Court said that software should be created to store the vehicle data in the city while noting that the data for checking vehicles should be created after giving a time limit of three months.

Justice Karim also stressed that things can’t be fixed until the city's DCs are transferred.

The court directed the government to make a policy about checking transport that must have the data, and a tag system should be introduced for vehicles as well. 

The lawyer representing the government, Hassan Ejaz Cheema, said that the work on formulating a policy is underway.

Moreover, Samaa News reported that the court also criticised the government for lifting all smog-related restrictions in the city. This could result in a relapse, it warned.

Justice Shahid Karim also suggested opening schools four days a week and letting construction work take place for three days a week. 

The court also ruled that schools and offices should have a work-from-home policy because the smog is not over yet. It may suddenly return, and ideally, construction work should not even start.

Later, the court adjourned further hearing on the case until Tuesday, December 3.

Previously, Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court issued a three-page order on petitions regarding the smog issue, ruling that schools should provide transport to children after the winter vacations, while the government announced a relaxation of smog restrictions in the city.