ISLAMABAD, May 30: An NGO, working for consumer rights protection, has filed a petition for stopping PTV and PBC from using tobacco sponsorship to promote cigarette during the FIFA World Cup.

The petition, which has been filed before the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench by an NGO, Network for Consumer Protection, is expected to be taken up for hearing on Friday

The event has been declared Tobacco Free by the organizers including World Health Organization (WHO).

The petitioner said the respondents wanted to exploit the world’s most popular sporting event and had allowed the tobacco industry to illegally sponsor the coverage of the World Cup.

The hearing of the case coincides with the “World No Tobacco Day” being observed on Friday.

Tobacco Free Initiative-Pakistan, a project of the network has described the filing of petition as a significant step. The effort was aimed at curbing the tobacco epidemic because Pakistan was one of the three countries besides Malaysia and Niger where this mega event was being used to promote tobacco products.

The statement said this year the FIFA had joined with the WHO, establishing a memorandum of cooperation to ensure that 2002 FIFA World Cup was tobacco free.

The event would kick-off in Seoul on the same day when the WHO was celebrating world no tobacco day on May 31.

The petition stated that this year’s theme was tobacco free sports—play it clean. In response to the global appeal for action, the WHO and its partners including the network were launching a campaign to clean sports of all forms of tobacco - tobacco consumption, and exposure to second-hand smoke, tobacco advertising, promotion and marketing.

The petition said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), IOC, FIFA, Olympic Aid and other regional and local sports organizations will join the WHO in the campaign for Tobacco Free Sports.

The decision to allow tobacco companies to sponsor the telecast of the World Cup, the petition said was bad in the eyes of law and did not adhere to the cardinal principles laid down in law, the Constitution and conflicts with its provisions that recognize health as citizen’s fundamental and basic right, the petition advocated.

It also sought direction against the ministry of information, PTV and PBC to immediately stop/de-link the promotion, sponsorship and/or advertisement of any cigarette brand or any other tobacco product with the telecast of the World Cup and that the media should not carry any message or promotional activity from tobacco company during or after the telecasting or broadcasting of the events of World Cup 2002.