WGIII strongly recommends that Pakistan terminate agreements with tobacco industry

Based on the 2019 edition of the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index (GTIII)[1], and in particular on chapter 6 dealing with the problem of conflict of interest of senior officials who work for the tobacco industry, Pakistan Today Profit reports the recommendations made and insists on the need to put an end to these agreements which harm Pakistan's initiatives in the fight against tobacco.[2].

Among the 33 countries with high levels of tobacco industry interference studied over the period from January 2017 to December 2018 for the 2019 report, including France, Pakistan scored 66 on the index. The country came in second in the ranking of persistent conflicts of interest.

While the 2019 report acknowledges progress, including the expansion of preventive measures on tobacco packages, it also notes the role that the tobacco industry has played in reducing the size of visual warnings. By analyzing public documentation, the report is also able to expose the tobacco industry’s interference in tax policies intended to reduce smoking. In doing so, the tobacco industry has managed to undermine the Pakistani government’s good intentions.

Noting, in addition, several gaps in terms of transparency on manufacturing, market shares, lobbying activities as well as revenues of tobacco manufacturers, the report denounces a situation favorable to these tactics. What is more, financial contributions from the tobacco industry to political parties or candidates are not prohibited in Pakistan and thus contradict the recommendations of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.[3].

©Tobacco Free Generation

[1] https://exposetobacco.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/GlobalTIIIndex_Report_2019.pdf

[2] https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/05/12/govt-agencies-urged-to-end-all-agreements-with-tobacco-companies/

[3] https://www.who.int/fctc/guidelines/adopted/article_5_3/fr/

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