A Pakistani province declared a health emergency on November 15 due to smog and imposed a shutdown in two major cities. Smog has choked Punjab for weeks, sickening nearly 2 million people and shrouding vast swaths of the province in a toxic haze. A senior provincial minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, declared the health emergency at a press conference and announced measures to combat the growing crisis. Time off for medical staff is canceled, all educational institutions are shut until further notice, and restaurants are being closed. “Smog is currently a national disaster,” Aurangzeb said.