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: Miftah Ismail, former Finance Minister and central leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) termed PTI’s economic performance total disaster where the government has added thousands of billions of debt while paying back not a single penny of the debt.
In a video message Miftah Ismail said PTI is only raising expenses, deficit and debt on the country in the worst manner imaginable. He pointed out that PTI took the loan from Rs 25,000 billion to Rs 36,000 for two years but the tax revenue was stuck at the same point in real terms.
He said the PTI government increased debt but totally failed to increase the country’s tax capacity.
He said PTI’s drastic cut to the development budget resulted in zero infrastructural development, no new plans and zero relief to the nation. In two and a half years, PTI has plunged the country into a quagmire of debt and this government’s claim of borrowing to repay the loan is a complete lie. They only re-roll the loan. Instead of repaying the loan, PTI gave the bond in exchange for the bond, that is, giving a new date for repaying the loan. Imran Khan did not repay the loan to Saudi Arabia out of his own pocket but from China”, he added.
“When the PML-N came to power in 2013, it had a debt of Rs 14,000 billion. This total debt included both external and internal debt. One month after the departure of the PML-N government, the total debt was Rs 24,952.9 billion or about 25,000 billion. The PML-N borrowed a total of Rs 10,600 billion in five years. With this borrowed amount PML-N carried out numerous other development works including power plants. Whereas, PTI borrowed more than Rs 11,400 billion in the first two initial years alone without a single development project”, he said.
Miftah said in June 2020, Pakistan’s debt shot from 25,000 billion to 36,400 billion.
He reminded that during the PML-N era, external debt and liabilities were Rs 11,575 billion while under the PTI regime, they had reached Rs 18,969 billion in just two years, showing a loss of Rs 7,500 billion. He also compared the fact that during PMLN era the loan was around $ 70 billion, which under PTI is now $ 80 billion.
The former Minister Finance said PTI had increased Pakistan’s debt by 40 per cent in just two years. This, he said, means that PTI alone took almost the same amount of loan that all previous governments took collectively over the past 75 years.
He warned that if the government’s borrowing rate remains the same, the country already in crisis will face even more grave problems. He expressed alarm over the fact that even at the rate of GDP, the PTI government is increasing national debt at an extremely rapid rate.
“The Debt was 65 per cent of GDP when PML-N came to power and 72 per cent on completion of its tenure. But during PTI tenure, the debt-to-GDP ratio has risen to a staggering 85 per cent, with the debt increased by 15 per cent in just two years. During the PML-N era, the debt was increasing at 2 per cent per annum; PTI is increasing at a rapid rate of 8 per cent which is a 400 per cent increase”, he said.
He explained that PTI’s claim is totally inappropriate and false that development projects left debt. The Toll tax on these motorways, highways, airports and power plants is taken to repay the loan, he said.
Miftah said it is inappropriate for PTI to say that the previous government left us a debt, every government had this debt. When PMLN came into power, the tax capacity was so low that only Rs 1,900 billion was being collected in taxes. But PMLN increased this tax capacity Rs 3,850 billion. He questioned if PTI increase the national income by any means.
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