KARACHI: Owners of sheesha cafés in Karachi on Friday urged the provincial administration of Sindh to regulate the use of sheesha – a glass-based instrument used to smoke flavored tobacco – in line with the World Health Organization rules since that would “create employment opportunities, earn the government nearly Rs100 million in revenue and promote tourism in the country.”
Addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC), owners and the legal counsel of All Pakistan Café and Restaurant Association (APCRA) said that provincial governments had not come up with any regulations despite clear orders from the apex court to prevent the misuse of sheesha.
“The ban on sheesha in cafés has led to its spread to people’s houses,” Syed Maaz Shah, the association’s coordinator said, adding: “A few days ago, two highly educated people, including a doctor, were sent to prison after police recovered sheesha from their car. A close relative of one of the detainees passed away due to cardiac arrest [caused by emotional distress] after she heard the news and saw their pictures plastered on social media.”
“When a thing is unregulated, it is misused. This is why we have filed an appeal in the apex court and are requesting the provincial authorities to legislate in accordance with the WHO regulations,” he continued.
Shah argued that sheesha was the modern form of hookah, which was used by people like Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, one of the founding fathers of the country, former prime minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and a noted politician, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan.
“I don’t say it’s not injurious to health. But it’s less injurious than cigarettes which are regulated,” he argued, adding that his association was taking an action against the cafés offering sheesha services to students.
“There are nearly 200 cafés in Karachi. Whereas the number of cafés in Pakistan’s other urban centers may accumulate to more than 2000,” he said. “We are ready to be regulate these places. In Karachi alone, the government can earn Rs100million from annual sales tax on such cafés.”
In 2015, the Supreme Court had asked provincial administrations to regulate the sale of sheesha while ordering to the closure of sheesha bars across Pakistan.
In July this year, the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services Regulation and Coordination had requested the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) to enact proper laws and allow sheesha smoking in the country.
Café owners in Pakistan ask government to remove sheesha ban
Café owners in Pakistan ask government to remove sheesha ban
- The prohibition was ordered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2015
- Café owners say a regulated use of sheesha can help the country collect Rs100 million in sales tax from Karachi alone
Pakistan highlights Gwadar transshipment role as shipping routes face disruption over regional tensions
- Pakistani ports possess “untapped potential” to attract global shipping lines for transshipment operations, says minister
- Pakistan eyes leveraging Gwadar as regional transshipment hub as Iran’s closure of Strait of Hormuz disrupts global maritime trade
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Thursday highlighted the importance of the port city of Gwadar’s transshipment role as major shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, face disruption due to Iran’s ongoing conflict with the US and Israel in the Gulf.
The meeting takes place as Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that lies between it and Oman. It is one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, with roughly 20 percent of global oil supplies passing through it. Iran has vowed it will attack any ship that enters the strait, causing energy prices to rise sharply on Monday amid disruptions to tanker traffic in the waterway.
Gwadar is a deep-sea port in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province that lies close to the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani officials have in the past highlighted Gwadar’s geostrategic position as the shortest trade route to the Gulf and Central Asia, stressing that it has the potential to become a regional transshipment hub.
Chaudhry chaired a high-level meeting of government officials to assess emerging logistical challenges facing Pakistan’s trade, particularly in the energy sector, amid tensions in the Gulf.
“Special focus was placed on fully leveraging the potential of Gwadar Port as a regional transshipment hub and positioning it as an alternative of regional instability,” Pakistan’s maritime affairs ministry said in a statement.
The minister said Pakistani ports possessed “significant untapped potential” to attract international shipping lines for transshipment operations, noting that it could also ensure long-term sustainability and growth of the country’s maritime sector.
Participants of the meeting discussed measures to strengthen Pakistan’s position as a viable alternative transit and transshipment destination, as key waterways are affected by the disruption.
The committee also reviewed proposals to amend relevant rules and regulations to facilitate international transshipment operations through on-dock and off-dock terminals.
The chairmen of the Port Qasim Authority, Karachi Port Trust and Gwadar Port Authority attended the meeting, briefing committee members on the current operational readiness of their ports. They spoke about the available capacity for container transshipment, bulk cargo handling and refueling services at Pakistani ports.
The port in Gwadar is a central part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), under which Beijing has funneled tens of billions of dollars into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
Pakistan has long eyed the deep-sea port as a key asset that can help boost its trade with Central Asian states, the Gulf region and ensure the country earns valuable foreign exchange.
