ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: The federal health secretary has directed all the provinces to develop a comprehensive strategy and plan to enforce the prohibition of smoking ordinance by October 28.

The directions were issued at an inter-provincial meeting of secretaries held here on Saturday under the chairmanship of Federal Health Secretary Syed Anwar Mahmood.

The secretary told the meeting that the powers to enforce the ordinance had been delegated to provinces under the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Under the ordinance smoking has been prohibited at all public places and transport, and sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to those below the age of 18 years has been banned. The law has also prohibited the storage and sale of cigarettes within 50 meters of all educational institutions.

The meeting observed that health departments should make coordinated efforts with the education, home and transport departments to ensure across the board enforcement of the law.

It was decided that focal persons should be nominated by health, transport, home and education departments to check the violation of the ordinance in their respective areas of responsibility.

It was recommended that heads of institutions, health establishments and transport owners be held responsible for violation of the ordinance.

The Balochistan health secretary said that the chief secretary had issued directives to all concerned to ensure strict enforcement of the ordinance.

Representative of the Punjab government also apprised the meeting of the measures being taken under the directives of the provincial chief secretary.

WHO representative Dr Khalif Bile and Abdus Sattar Chaudhary, an expert on the subject, gave presentations on tobacco related health hazards and measures taken to restrict tobacco consumption.

Dr Bile said that the use of tobacco was one of the major causes of deaths in the country claiming over 60,000 lives annually and stressed the need for taking urgent steps to accelerate the enforcement of the prohibition of smoking ordinance, besides educating the masses on health hazards associated with the menace.—Online