Islamabad - Taking exception to the sixth extension given to the tobacco industry regarding raising pictorial health warning on cigarette packs to 85 per cent, an anti-tobacco organisation has asked the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination to take a strict action against the tobacco industry for the rule’s violation.
On the eve of the end of 5th deadline for the tobacco industry to raise the health warning to 85 per cent on September 30, 2015, the Health Ministry once again extended the deadline for another month.
Though no reason has been assigned for the extension, the minister’s recent media interview suggests that he has been under tremendous pressure from tobacco industry and its front groups and that of the western countries from where this tobacco multinationals belong to.
In fact, in August this year one multinational gave bait to the Pakistan government of $100 million investment provided it does not go for the regulation.
Demanding of the prime minister to revamp the federal health ministry, TheNetwork said that the current set-up is vulnerable to the influence of non-health actors and is unable to protect the people’s fundamental rights to health and life.
Already, TheNetwork along with Coalition for Tobacco Control has taken the Health Ministry to Islamabad High Court seeking judicial intervention to get pictorial health warnings on cigarette pack raised to 85pc without any further delay.
While admitting the petition a judge of the IHC has issued notices and directed the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC), Ministry of Finance and FBR to submit their reply within ten days that falls in the third week of August.
While Finance and law ministries have submitted their respective replies, the Health Ministry and FBR so far shied away from the court.
The original SRO to raise the size of pictorial health warning (PHW) to 85 per cent was issued on January 29, 2015. The industry was given two months to stock out the packs with old PHW.
TheNetwork’s Executive Coordinator Nadeem Iqbal said: “The clock is ticking. People are needlessly dying of tobacco use.”
Referring the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, he said while the government is counting money it gets in tobacco tax or through foreign investment, almost half of the men in Pakistan are using tobacco.
The most dangerous is the youth who whooping 18 per cent are hooked to tobacco.