Activists urge CJP to help impose tobacco tax for dam fund

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar was urged by tobacco control activists to impose a Rs10 tax on each packet of cigarettes so that an estimated Rs40 billion could be generated to fund the Mohmand and Diamer-Bhasha dams.

“In Pakistan, around 80 billion sticks of cigarettes, or four billion packets, are sold every year and if a Rs10 tax on each box is imposed on each pack, Rs40 billion will be collected every year and this can be used to construct the dams,” said advocate Malik Imran.

The advocate also said that the CJP could persuade policymakers to implement the tax, adding that attempts by the government to tax the tobacco industry in the pasts have always been thwarted.