Islamabad AQI 29 October 2026: 151 Unhealthy, PM2.5 Over the Limit All Day (Pak-EPA Table and How to Check)

Islamabad's air quality index was 151, Unhealthy, on 29 October 2026, according to the daily table the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) posted on 30 October. Fine dust, PM2.5, averaged 56.7 micrograms per cubic metre over 24 hours, 62 per cent above the national limit of 35. The worst stretch was the evening, from 4 pm to midnight, at 76.7.

The three gases Pak-EPA measures, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, were all in the Good band. Dust alone pushed the city into Unhealthy. Below are the full table, how 29 October compares with September, what the reading means for your family and how to find the next one yourself.

We opened the "Air Quality Index of Islamabad" item on Pak-EPA's website, dated 30 October 2026, and read its table image on 31 October.

PM2.5 was the only pollutant over its limit on 29 October

Pak-EPA's table for 29 October 2026 gives a 24 hour PM2.5 average of 56.7 against a National Environmental Quality Standard (NEQS) of 35. That earned an AQI of 151, Unhealthy. Sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide stayed far below their limits.

All figures are micrograms per cubic metre. NEQS is the legal limit for outdoor air. PM2.5 means particles small enough to reach deep into the lungs. By our arithmetic, 56.7 is 1.62 times the limit.

Dust was worst between 4 pm and midnight

Pak-EPA splits the day into three eight hour blocks. PM2.5 was 47.4 from just after midnight to 8 am and 45.9 from 8 am to 4 pm. It jumped to 76.7 from 4 pm to midnight. Carbon monoxide also peaked in the evening, at 4,370.2.

Every block was above 35. The evening figure was more than double the limit. Pak-EPA does not give a reason. Evening traffic and still, cooling air that traps smoke near the ground are the usual suspects in autumn, but the table itself does not say so.

29 October matched September's worst day

Islamabad's PM2.5 of 56.7 on 29 October equals the worst days of September 2026. Pak-EPA's monthly report put 22 and 23 September at 56.7 as well. September's average was 41.7, an AQI of 116, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.

So the capital began the smog season at the level September only touched twice. We covered the month in Islamabad's September air quality, when PM2.5 was over the limit on 23 of 30 days. PMD expects no rain in Islamabad until at least 5 November, and rain is what usually washes dust out of the air.

One caution. This is one day at Pak-EPA's monitoring point. It is not a city-wide map, and the agency does not say where in Islamabad the station sits.

What an Unhealthy reading means for your family

Unhealthy is the band above Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, so the warning is no longer only for children, older people and the sick, though they still feel it most. Cut long outdoor exercise in the evening, keep windows shut at night and use an N95 or KN95 mask outdoors if you are in a high-risk group.

1. Move outdoor walks and games to late morning, when PM2.5 was lowest on 29 October.
2. Keep windows closed in the evening and at night.
3. Give an N95 or KN95 mask to anyone with asthma, a heart condition or a pregnancy.
4. Do not burn leaves or rubbish, which adds to the dust.
5. Check the next Pak-EPA table before planning outdoor events.

The National Institute of Health names the masks that work in its N95 and KN95 mask advice, and lists the groups at higher risk in its advice to protect pregnant women, heart and asthma patients.

How to find Islamabad's official AQI each day

Pak-EPA posts Islamabad's reading as a news item called "Air Quality Index of Islamabad" on environment.gov.pk. Open the site, go to Latest News, and open the newest item. The table is an image, with the date in its heading.

Pak-EPA adds a line under the table: data on Islamabad's air from any other source is "neither verified nor approved" by the agency. Apps and private sensors often show higher or lower numbers. The official one is this table. For Punjab cities, the provincial dashboard is separate, and for Lahore you would use the method in checking Lahore's air quality.

Common questions

What was Islamabad's AQI on 29 October 2026?

151, Unhealthy, on Pak-EPA's table. PM2.5 averaged 56.7 micrograms per cubic metre over 24 hours.

What is the safe limit for PM2.5 in Pakistan?

The National Environmental Quality Standard printed on Pak-EPA's table is 35 micrograms per cubic metre over 24 hours.

Were other pollutants high in Islamabad?

No. Sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide were all in the Good band, with AQI values of 26, 25 and 12.

When was the air worst on 29 October?

Between 4 pm and midnight, when PM2.5 reached 76.7, more than double the limit.

Does Pak-EPA publish Islamabad's AQI every day?

It posted the 29 October table on 30 October as a news item. Its monthly reports are in the Air Quality section of environment.gov.pk. We could not find daily tables for 24 to 28 October.

Should schools in Islamabad close for smog?

No closure order for Islamabad had been posted on any official site we could read on 31 October 2026. Watch the Federal Directorate of Education for any notice.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 31 October 2026. Every figure for 29 October comes from Pak-EPA's table image "Air Quality Index of Islamabad on 29-10-2026", posted under Latest News on environment.gov.pk on 30 October 2026. The September comparison comes from Pak-EPA's September 2026 monthly report, which we read on 19 October. The 1.62 times figure is our arithmetic. Image files for 24 to 28 October did not open at the same address. We could not read the Federal Directorate of Education's site, which refused our requests, so we cannot confirm or rule out any school notice. The rain outlook is from PMD's weekly outlook of 30 October.