PESHAWAR: The business community and officials of the district administration and health department have agreed to adopt a joint strategy for discouraging use of tobacco in the provincial metropolis.

The decision was taken in a meeting on Saturday at the Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry with its president Mohammad Shakir Siddiqui in the chair.

Markazi Tanzeem Tajiran, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, president Mehar Elahi and founder president of the chamber Mohammad Ihtesham Haleem represented the business community.

Besides other officials, Mohammad Ajmal Shah, project coordinator, tobacco control cell, represented the administration.

According to a statement, the participants decided that all stakeholders would extend cooperation to the relevant officials for controlling the sale of tobacco to children and its use in public places.

The meeting decided to arrange sessions with stakeholders for creation of awareness among the traders regarding hazards of tobacco use.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2019