Recently, the ministries of national health services (NHS) and the finance department have been asked to implement the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Agreement on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to make cigarettes inaccessible to citizens by increasing prices and action against sales counterfeiting and smuggled brands.
These instructions were submitted by a federal ombudsman to a complaint from the Pakistan National Hearts Association (PANAH).
The complainant alleged that the ministries had implemented the FCTC, signed by 128 countries, including Pakistan, as an international treaty.
However, prior to the announcement of the current financial year, the NHS ministry had proposed raising taxes on cigarettes from currently 28 to 44 rupees per package.
