ISLAMABAD: A team from Tobacco Smoke Free Islamabad has announced that the Islamabad Stock Exchange (ISE) tower is now a smoke free facility.

The announcement was made in relation to World No Tobacco Day which will be observed on May 31 with the theme ‘Tobacco: a threat to development’.

So far, 139 public places across the city have been declared smoke free and efforts are being made for including three more universities to the list before May 31.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Minhajus Siraj, who is the project director of Tobacco Smoke Free Islamabad and the deputy DG health at the Capital Administration and Development Division said that the ISE tower is now smoke free is a huge achievement as a number of national and international companies work there.

“The impacts of tobacco use are also a threat to the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner ICT retired Captain Waqas Rashid said all possible efforts were being made to make the city smoke free.

ISE Tower Management Company Chairman Zahid Latif Khan said tobacco control laws will be implemented in the 22-storey building which houses the head offices of 34 multi-national companies as well as the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

Rotary Club Islamabad President Naeem Murtaza said his club will also support tobacco control efforts.

Last week, Saudi Pak Towers imposed a fine of Rs5,000 on one of its employees who was caught on camera smoking in an elevator. Saudi Pak Towers is also a smoke free building.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2017