Cigarettes being sold in black

E-Paper | March 12, 2026

KARACHI: Local cigarettes are being sold in black ahead of the budget 2015-16.

Many brands, such as Gold Leaf and Marlboro, are being sold at higher rates.

A Rs100 packet of Gold Leaf is being sold at Rs110 while Rs180 Marlboro pack is fetching Rs240; Rs120 pack of Benson and Hedges is available at Rs150 while Rs110 Dunhill at Rs145.

Capstan and Morven are dearer by Rs5.

Dealers said the supply of local cigarettes has slowed down drastically over the past months by the manufacturers. According to market observers, no federal and provincial authority has intervened so far.

According to figures of large scale manufacturing (LSM) issued by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), cigarette production in the country stood at 46.7 billion in July-March 2014-15 as compared to 47bn in the same period last fiscal year.

In July-June 2013-14, production stood at 64.4bn as compared to 67.3bn in 2012-13.

Taking an average price of Rs5 per cigarette and average yearly production of 64bn cigarettes means the people burn over Rs250 billion to ash in a year.

A dealer in F.B. Area said the suppliers have piled up stocks and they would release it after the budget when new taxes and duties would be imposed.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2015

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Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 25 years of experience. He covers trade and industry, with a particular focus on market surveys, food inflation, commodity prices, the automobile sector and broader industrial issues.

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Qamar

May 27, 2015 10:57am

If the people are buying cigarettes at these prices, that mean they can afford it. So government should put higher taxes and cigarettes should be made more expensive to deters the people from smoking.

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ali

May 27, 2015 11:24am

Shouldn't this be Rs. 320 billion to ash in a year (Rs. 5 per cigr times 64 b cigr) instead of Rs. 250b ?

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Chishti

May 27, 2015 12:31pm

I would had been cursing it a year ago. Quitting smoking last year after 28 years changed my life. I am relieved, relaxed and confident. A bulging tummy though disturbs me sometimes. Price of a cigarette pack must be in thousands as I know no one who died of not smoking. Try it, it works, it worked on me.

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saadi

May 27, 2015 01:04pm

These brands are atleast 6 times high price in EU/USA. The price of cigarettes should be very very high to protect people from cancer.

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Shaukat Ali

May 27, 2015 02:51pm

Strange; people supporting crime to harm their own health.

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Faizan

May 27, 2015 03:41pm

@ali : Here in Dublin a pack of cigarette costs €10 equivalent to about 1,100 Pakistani Ruppess, and that the reason I am smoking less and soon may quit. Should be higher taxes on all tobacco products in Pakistan too.

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AMAD NOOR

May 27, 2015 04:24pm

Reason of increase smoking in pakistan are alot of tensions multiple problems i.e, Lack of jobs for news generation. In Pakistan , here is no basic right for human being and no entertainment . when people will happy they will stay away from smoking .

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Vijay Kumar

May 27, 2015 05:08pm

@Chishti Sir congratulations, I read somewhere our body repair the loss caused by smoking in few years after quit. It is always better to leave the bad habits.

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Goga Nalaik

May 27, 2015 05:29pm

In Europe, the price of smuggled (banned) cigarettes is 50% less than those sold at regular shops.

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Sohail Ansari

May 27, 2015 07:23pm

@Chishti sahab, your story urged me to share my experience as well. I used to say this for myself "I can do anything in this life but could not quit smoking" because I tried it so many times but couldn't succeed. Finally in 2008 I tried it again and was able to quit it. It needs a lot of motivation from our surroundings and society. Stay away from the smoking friends as they the biggest motive to smoke. Think about your children and read material about smoking dangers.

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R.S. Menon

May 27, 2015 07:31pm

If the ban on smoking in public places is strictly implemented, then there will be a drastic reduction in number of new smokers added every year. This is based on the experience the southern State of Kerala in India has. P.S. : I used to smoke about 40 cigerettes a day for about 25 years. I was detected with 2nd stage oral cancer (T2 N0 M0) in 2007 and have undergone surgical removal of a part of the tongue followed with radio therapy. R.S. Menon, Bangalore R.S. Menon, Bangalore

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mehkan

May 27, 2015 09:46pm

@Qamar I second with Qamar!

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Smoker.

May 28, 2015 12:30am

When you compare the prices in rupees vs dollars, pounds etc. Why can't you all see that a single packet of bread costs 3 $ = Rs. 309 here in US? Is that also equal to the prices in Pak? No. So comparing the prices is not simple maths. Yes there should be more taxes on the tobacco products and also on the production of these products. Making it expensive won't solve the problem and we should all know this fact. Other illicit drugs are a hundred or thousand times dearer than cigarettes and yet people don't quit. The real remedy lies in education and then health education and then comes the public awareness.

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Masood Haider

May 28, 2015 01:18am

The very public health conscious mayors of New York City made the cost of a 2o cigarette pack a staggering $ 14.00 through higher taxes to deter persons from smoking. In the United States, smoking has become a socially unacceptable practice and has been banned from almost all public and private establishments including restaurants leading to a steady decline in the number of smokers. Smoker heavy countries like Pakistan and Turkey should emulate these initiatives.

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Juliana Fitzwater

May 28, 2015 01:35am

@Qamar People are buying electricity as well and will keep on buying it regardless of the prices. Let's permanently increase its price as well

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Juliana Fitzwater

May 28, 2015 01:36am

@saadi No use. I smoke. At the most I will be forced to switch to a cheaper brand.Please dont PATRONIZE us. If we want to quit we will quit on our own - not thru intimidation or blackmailing

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dr_va

May 28, 2015 01:46am

@Vijay Kumar Unfortunately that is no longer true. Once a person stops smoking, their risk of diseases (unfortunate cancers) does not decrease to baseline, rather remains where one stops.

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Alexander the Great

May 28, 2015 05:07am

The market is more concerned about shortage than the health of poor people who are going to be burden on the government resources.

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Malik

May 28, 2015 05:08am

@Chishti For bulging tummy, I would suggest a jog of 4-5 miles a day, starting with the first mile initially and than adding it slowly.

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munir ahmad

May 28, 2015 06:08am

You always decry such malpractices in cigarette sale.Why not to ban this smoke and legalise light buzz for smoke lovers.

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Munib

May 28, 2015 12:38pm

@AMAD NOOR Stress or tension is a very poor excuse often used by smokers. There are a multitude of healthy stress relievers available such as exercise and prayer, even chewing gum! Smoking has become socially acceptable all over the country, even indoors and in public places, and most people don't see anything wrong with it. Just try telling a smoker that they might die of lung cancer, you will be amazed by the stupidity of the answers you get!

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