ISLAMABAD: While the country’s law prohibits smoking in public places, this law is openly violated in the building of the Supreme Court, under the nose of the chief justice.

Non-governmental organisation TheNetwork for Consumer Protection appealed to Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk to to help enforce the ban against smoking in public places, including lower courts, and declaring the Supreme Court premises ‘smoke free’.

According to the recently released Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), around 70 percent of Pakistanis are exposed to tobacco smoke at their workplaces.

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TheNetwork Executive Coordinator Nadeem Iqbal, in a letter available with Dawn, urged the chief justice to implement the tobacco control law “Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002” at the apex court building. Copies of this letter have also been sent to other judges, Supreme Court Registrar, Supreme Court Bar Association President and the Attorney General of Pakistan.

In the letter, Nadeem Iqbal draws the chief justice’s attention to Section V of the law which forbids the use of tobacco in any form at a place of public work or use.

The aim of the law is to protect the health of non-smokers by preventing their exposure to second-hand smoke in public places. Since 2006, following a letter by a public health expert, the Supreme Court has been hearing a suo motu case regarding the enforcement of tobacco control measures in the country.

The GATS found that almost all adult respondents believed that smoking should not be allowed indoors in public places. Similarly, 82 per cent of respondents said that breathing smoke causes serious illness.

Mr Iqbal, quoting the findings of GATS showed that people are ready to accept further tobacco regulation but the authorities lack the will to even enforce existing laws.

Referring to the decisions of the Lahore High Court, Islamabad High Court, Civil Court Islamabad and a notification by the Islamabad District Government banning smoking in public places, Mr Iqbal notes that the courts define public places as including every closed or open place within the boundary of a public place.

In law, there is also no provision for a designated ‘smoking corner’ or ‘smoking room’ inside a building or workplace.

Mr Iqbal reminds the chief justice that both active and passive smoking can lead to various types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

While talking to Dawn, Mr Iqbal called for putting up of ‘no smoking’ signs around the Supreme Court building.

“The situation in subordinate courts is worse with a large number of people, including lawyers, smoking in the buildings. I requested a president of a bar council to enforce the ban on smoking in the bar and district courts, but he said he could not do so,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2015

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