The on-going smuggling of foreign brands of cigarettes from Afghanistan and Iran is causing revenue loss in billions of rupees per annum. According to industry sources, the anti-smuggling department and customs officials are primarily responsible for clearance at the ports of entry and border check posts, including Pak-Afghan and Pak-Iran borders. But presence of smuggled brands in local markets puts a question mark on the performance of anti-smuggling organisations.
Sources said that if a company manufactures, or imports, cigarettes to Pakistan it is mandatory on its part to print "Approved Pictorial Health Warning" on every packet. Notwithstanding this law, the markets are flooded with those brands which carry no "Pictorial Health Warning". This clearly shows that these bands are smuggled with duty evasion.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has recommended that these warnings should cover 50 percent or more of the principal display areas but shall be no less than 30 percent of the principal display area. The key objectives governing the introduction of health warnings are to inform consumers of the harmful effects of tobacco and to reduce consumption.
Sources said that in the past, the government had launched a massive crackdown. The items excluded from transit through Pakistan like cigarettes and auto parts were brought into Afghanistan through Iran and other countries with similar transit facilities and smuggled to Pakistan. Alcohol, which is not officially importable into Afghanistan, like Pakistan, is imported through mis-declaration of transit goods for Pakistan's flourishing black market.
Smuggling of a large variety of commodities is on the rise on Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the authorities responsible do nothing to stop it. Sources said that the study shows that smokers are not aware of or underestimate the health effects of tobacco use. Tobacco kills about 100,000 people annually in Pakistan with 274 deaths daily. In addition, 5,000 people are hospitalised with tobacco-related diseases every day against smuggled and duty evaded cigarettes.
As a result of that crackdown, huge quantity of smuggled and duty evaded brands were seized by the authorities. But now again smuggled and duty evaded brands are easily available in the market. So it is very important to again start crackdown against the network of this illicit trade.
Sources emphasised that different foreign brands are smuggled from Afghanistan and Iran and are easily available at every small shop or big super store. But it is important to mention that there is no official manufacturer or distributor working in Pakistan for the manufacture and distribution of pine cigarettes.