ISLAMABAD: Tobacco control activists have urged the chief justice to help impose a Rs10 tax on each box of cigarettes to contribute towards the construction of the Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand dams and say doing so will generate around Rs40 billion every year.

One of the activists, Advocate Malik Imran said a ‘Sin Tax’ has been imposed in the Philippines on cigarettes which goes towards enrolling more people in universal healthcare and improve prevention services for non-communicable diseases in primary care.

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

Universities advised by HEC to donate one-day’s salaries for the dams

During a hearing of a case regarding water issues, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had announced he will help in the construction of the dams and donated Rs1 million from his personal account which was the first contribution to the Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dam Fund 2018. Many institutions have since contributed to the account and people are also donating individually.

Mr Imran said the chief justice can convince decision makers to impose the tax on the tobacco industry which is very influential and attempts to increase taxes have failed in the past.

Fikare-i-Farda Welfare Organisation’s Chief Executive Mohammad Faisal told Dawn with the imposition of the tax a lump sum will be collected as companies will pay it directly to the government.

“Tobacco is hazardous for the health and environment while dams are environment friendly as its water is used for cultivation and to benefit people,” he said.

Ministry of National Health Services Tobacco Control Cell Technical Head Dr Zia Uddin agreed with the proposal and said there will be huge support for the construction of the dams.

Meanwhile, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has advised universities to contribute one-day’s salaries to the Supreme Court’s fund for the construction of the Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dam.

There are 185 public and private universities and according to the Pakistan Education Statistics 2016-17, there are 58,733 faculty members across the country.

“We have advised universities to contribute towards the fund. It is not an order,” said HEC spokesperson Ayesha Ikram.

In a letter, the commission has also directed all higher education institutions to actively take part in a greener Pakistan movement and urged all students and faculty members to plant a tree.

It says the declining tree cover is playing a significant role in exacerbating the water shortage and causing other undesirable changes in the environment.

The HEC has said all plants should be tagged with the name of the student or faculty member who planted it and that they should take care of it for eight weeks to ensure its survival and instil a sense of responsibility for it in people.

Published in Dawn, July 17th , 2018