ISLAMABAD: The amended money bill tabled in the National Assembly on Wednesday disappointed health advocates as there was no mention of “sin tax” which had to be imposed on cigarettes and sugar beverages.

“Not only Minister for National Health Services (NHS) Aamer Mehmood Kiani had announced that the tax would be imposed but a number of other government dignitaries had also confirmed it. It seems that because of the pressure of influential tobacco industry, the government has taken another U-turn,” National Coordinator for Coalition for Tobacco Control Pakistan Khurram Hashmi said while talking to Dawn.

He said that till Tuesday night electronic media was reporting that the sin tax would be imposed. “We were also confident because the government had announced it many times. It is a huge shock for us as the tobacco industry has again won and it would make revenue at the cost of the health of the masses. We demand that the government impose the tax without any delay,” he said.

Representative of the Pakistan National Heart Association Malik Imran also expressed disappointment, saying he was shocked to know that the government did not bother to impose sin tax. It was the only tax which would have generated money and protected the health of people, he added.

“Tobacco becomes reason for a number of diseases, including cancer. Prime Minister Imran Khan established a cancer hospital and he also used to talk against the use of tobacco, but it is unfortunate that his government did not bother to save the masses from cancer,” he regretted.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2019