Islamabad: Rising tobacco and nicotine use among Pakistan’s youth, especially around educational institutions, emerged as the central concern at a national review session on tobacco control held by the Aurat Foundation in Islamabad.
Participants from Parliament, government departments, health organizations, and civil society warned that easy availability of cigarettes, vapes, nicotine pouches, and flavored tobacco near schools is creating a growing public health threat. The discussion also pointed to a noticeable increase in tobacco use among women, indicating a shifting trend.
The session called for stronger legislation, faster policy action, and strict enforcement to counter the rapid spread of emerging nicotine products. Speakers emphasized that existing laws remain poorly implemented due to procedural delays, weak monitoring, and limited coordination between federal and provincial bodies.
The need for clear parental awareness, community engagement, and better recognition of new nicotine products was highlighted as an essential part of early prevention. Officials noted that families and schools often remain unaware of modern products marketed to young people.
Technical briefings identified major enforcement gaps and policy loopholes that allow the tobacco industry to expand its reach. Participants noted that companies are increasingly using social media trends, entertainment content, and youth-focused marketing to promote vaping in urban areas.
Government representatives reaffirmed ongoing federal efforts to implement the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 and to tighten regulations where required. Provincial representatives also announced plans to introduce new resolutions to strengthen tobacco control.
Education sector officials raised alarms over the rise of nicotine products around private institutions and called for tougher regulatory checks. Regulatory authorities stressed the need for a broader social movement to counter tobacco use nationwide.
Closing the event, the Aurat Foundation reiterated its commitment to evidence-based advocacy, cross-sector collaboration, and long-term public awareness initiatives aimed at building a healthier, tobacco-free society.KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) reserves increased by $5.12 billion to $14.51 billion as of June 30 at the end of Fiscal Year 2024-25 (FY25), media reports revealed on Thursday. The figure exceeds the $13.9 billion target set out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The SBP’s reserves stood at $9.39 billion on June 30 last year and the increase reflects a noticeable improvement in the country’s current account balance and realisation of planned inflows during the year, the SBP said in the statement.
The SBP did not provide a reason for the significant increase in reserves of more than $5 billion in the fiscal year 2025. But according to the statement released last week, it received commercial loans of $3.10 billion and multilateral loans totalling over $500 million.
The SBP’s reserves had fallen by $2.66 billion as of June 20, the second biggest weekly drop on record, due to external debt repayments.
According to media reports, China rolled over $3.4 billion in loans to Pakistan over the weekend, helping to increase the nation’s forex reserves, which the IMF requires. Beijing refinanced a $1.3 billion commercial loan that Islamabad had repaid two months prior, and it also rolled over $2.1 billion that had been in the SBP’s reserves for the previous three years.
“With this level of SBP’s reserves, the country has met the IMF condition set for the central bank reserves above $13.9 billion set for June 30, 2025. This is the highest weekly increase,” said Awais Ashraf, the director of research at AKD Securities Limited.
The SBP’s reserves are enough to cover 2.5 months of imports, Ashraf said.
“We expect reserves to surpass $17 billion by June 2026 due to strong remittances and a reduction in interest payments,” he added.
Two years ago, Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves fell to extremely low levels, providing less than a month’s worth of import cover. The government obtained a $3 billion short-term IMF bailout in response to the prospect of a sovereign debt default. In addition, the government restricted imports and permitted more exchange rate flexibility.
The rise in forex reserves reflects improved external account management, higher remittances, better exports, and disciplined policy actions under the IMF’s guidance, Mohammad Sohail, the CEO of Topline Securities, wrote on X.
The SBP bolstered its reserves by purchasing dollars from the market. Between June 2024 and March 2025, it bought $6.8 billion from the interbank market, indicating the availability of foreign exchange in the system.
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