ISLAMABAD: In a historic first, Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore witnessed artificial rain on Saturday following a cloud seeding experiment carried out by the United Arab Emirates as a “gift” to the South Asian nation to combat dense smog, announced Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Lahore has been ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world in recent weeks, putting the interim government of Punjab province, of which Lahore is the capital, under pressure to take necessary measures to deal with the situation.

Naqvi and his administration had been pondering the idea of inducing artificial rain with the UAE’s assistance for several weeks before announcing the success of the experiment within a radius of 10 to 15 kilometers that included several important neighborhoods of the city.

“Today, by the grace of God, Pakistan’s first artificial rain was induced,” he told a news conference in Lahore. “We fired 48 flares for cloud seeding in the first mission which was carried out in the morning, and the second mission will take off shortly.”

“This was a gift from the UAE government,” he continued. “They managed everything for us. Our people were working with them.”

Naqvi informed that the UAE had sent two special planes along with a technical team, which waited in Lahore for several days for the right conditions to carry out the mission.

“We kept it quiet since it involved another country and we didn't want any negativity if the arrangement didn't work out for some reason,” he added. “We are all very happy. It was an experiment which was necessary for us to prevent the smog in the future.”

Asked about the potential impact of artificial rain on smog, the chief minister said his administration was closely monitoring the situation, as this was the country's first experience with cloud seeding.

“The primary objective was to overcome smog through rain,” he continued. “When smog subsides, its impact usually lasts for five to seven days. But let’s see what happens.”

Naqvi noted it was important to study smog in Lahore to identify the factors behind it.

“We have already assigned a research team,” he said. “If truth be told, at present we are blank [in terms of what is causing the smog].”

He maintained that thorough research would enable the upcoming government to make informed policy decisions in addressing the problem.