KARACHI   -   Commissioner Karachi Syed Hasan Naqvi while chairing a meeting on Wednesday, decided that appropriate measures be taken on priority basis to prevent the sale of smuggled and illegal cigarettes. All deputy commissioners, Additional Commissioner-I Ghulam Mehdi Shah, officers of the Customs department and the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), representatives of Pakistan Tobacco and Philip Morris and others participated in the meeting.  The meeting was informed that the national exchequer faced tax losses due to the sale of illegal cigarettes. The meeting decided that the Karachi administration would play its role in preventing the sale of illegal cigarettes in the city and would help in ensuring effective implementation of the laws in this regard.  The participants decided that the Deputy Commissioners would work in close coordination with the Customs Department and ANF.  The Commissioner said that sale of illegal cigarettes was causing tax evasion and health problems, therefore concerted efforts were needed for its prevention. Syed Hasan Naqvi said that Karachi administration would cooperate with all the departments for prevention of sale of illegal cigarettes.