Pakistan Bound to Ban Tobacco Advertisements under WHO Convention

Source from:  Business Recorder 05/26/2014

Federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Co-ordination (NHSRC) Friday observed that Pakistan is amongst 178 countries signatory to the international binding of World Health Organisation's Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) and is committed to impose ban on tobacco advertisement.

In a written reply submitted to the Sindh High Court (SHC) on a petition filed by a cigarette manufacturer, the NHSRC said Pakistan being a treaty member of FCTC has committed to these tobacco advertisement restrictions as a bare minimum under Article 13 of FCTC. The new tobacco laws published in Gazette of Pakistan stated that no tobacco manufacturing companies in Pakistan would be allowed and strictly prohibited the advertisement of any tobacco products.

It further maintained that any mean of advertisement including print media as further classified newspaper, magazine, books, periodical or any such printed publication except as provided by the Federal Excise Rules 2005 be allowed to promote the tobacco products. Not even in print media, but also in cinema or theatre, including the mobile or mini cinema, TV channels and Radio including cable channels or closed circuit TV networks, through a poster, banner made out of paper, plastic, cloth or any other material, branding on garments, affixed outside a shop or promotional vehicle would be allowed to promote tobacco products.

It further said that Pakistan ratified the WHO FCTC on November 3, 2004 as one of the first 40 States, thereby enabling its early entry into force on February 27, 2005. The obligations contained in the convention became therefore binding for Pakistan on February 27, 2005.

According to International Secretariat of FCTC, the general obligations of the Parties including are set out in Article 5 of the Convention, and include the development and implementation of comprehensive multi-sectoral national tobacco control strategies, plans and programmes in keeping with the Convention and any future protocols. In addition, Article 5 makes clear in paragraph 2 (b) that each Party to the WHO FCTC has committed itself to adopting, implementing and periodically updating and reviewing effective legislative, executive, administrative and/or other measures aimed at inter alia preventing and reducing tobacco consumption, the ministry added. Enditem