ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday has sought report from the federal and provincial governments regarding the implementation of Sheesha ban across the country.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali resumed the hearing of the suo motu notice taken over the implementation of the ban on Sheesha smoking and sought details from the federal and provincial AGs in this regard until the next hearing of the case which was adjourned indefinitely.

The bench also sought a report regarding the ban on sale of cigarettes to children under the age of 18 years.

During today's hearing, Advocate General for Sindh Abdul Fatah Malik informed the court that the ban on Sheesha smoking at public places was being implemented in the province since 2011, but a few cases had recently been registered against violators of the ban.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa AG maintained that the ban on Sheesha had been implemented across the province.

The Punjab AG said the Punjab Assembly had yet to pass a bill banning Sheesha consumption, and that once it was passed, the ban would be implemented.

The SC took notice that the bill had been lying with the Punjab Assembly for over a year and has not been passed, and ordered speedy implementation of the ban but did not give a deadline for the implementation.

The Punjab Assembly in March last year introduced "The Punjab Prohibition of Sheesha Smoking Bill 2014", but the bill has not been passed into law yet.

Also read: Pakistan among top four countries with rising tobacco use

Opinion

Editorial

Reflection time
Updated 25 Jun, 2026

Reflection time

Israel is the biggest source of instability in the Middle East, and it is high time the US ended its blind support to Tel Aviv, if it genuinely wants peace in the region.
Raised temperatures
25 Jun, 2026

Raised temperatures

THE fraught situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir requires immense patience and cool heads. Temperatures are raised on...
Debatable remedy
25 Jun, 2026

Debatable remedy

THE Pakistan Psychiatric Society’s challenge to the Federal Shariat Court’s ruling on attempted suicide deserves...
Pezeshkian’s visit
Updated 24 Jun, 2026

Pezeshkian’s visit

Perhaps a good place to start would be the resumption of work on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.
Telecom bill
24 Jun, 2026

Telecom bill

THERE is now no question about it: the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) (Amendment) Bill of 2026 is a...
Updating Islamabad
24 Jun, 2026

Updating Islamabad

ISLAMABAD is growing rapidly. Its planning, however, remains stuck in bureaucratic limbo. Despite years of ...