What it seemed to be this winter season’s thickest fog engulfed a number of cities in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday morning, reducing visibility to almost zero and shutting down major motorways, report.
The fog was dense in Lahore, the thickest of the season, disrupting early morning commuters’ movements as it blurred their wind shields and helmet glasses.
Vehicles moved at a crawling pace, motorists relied heavily on fog lights, and traffic congestion was reported on several arterial roads.
Commuters said the fog was the worst during the current winter season as it swallowed the whole city of Lahore.
Severe cold coupled with hazardous air quality combined to disrupt normal life across the region, severely impacting road, rail and air travel.
A sharp drop in temperatures, extremely low visibility and poor pollution levels caused widespread delays and inconvenience for thousands of commuters and passengers.
Minimum temperatures across cities intensified the cold wave conditions.
Different sections of the motorways had again closed for traffic after dense fog engulfed large parts of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The following motorways were closed for all kinds of traffic: M-1 from Peshawar to Rikshai and from Swabi to Burhan, M-2 from Lahore to Kot Momin, M-4 from Abdul Hakeem to Multan, M-5 from Multan to Zahir Pir, and M-11 from Lahore to Sialkot.
— National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP) (@NHMPofficial) January 2, 2026
Motorway Police Central Region spokesperson Syed Imran Ahmed said the primary objective of the closures was to ensure the safety of motorists and passengers during hazardous fog conditions.
According to the motorway police sources, safe travel times during fog are from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
The Motorway police have appealed the drivers to use the Grand Trunk (GT) Road for travelling. They have also urged the drivers to drive slowly and switch on fog lights while driving.
The motorway police have also requested people to stay home and avoid unnecessary travelling.
Dense fog has also disrupted traffic at several places in the province on the National Highways, with visibility ranging from zero to 100 meters.
The Motorway police have also informed that for assistance or guidance, motorists can contact the NHMP Helpline at 130.
