ISLAMABAD: The Tobacco Control Cell at Pakistan’s health ministry has won a World No Tobacco Day 2021 Award from the World Health Organization, WHO announced on its website on Monday.
Every year, WHO recognizes individuals or organizations in each of the six WHO Regions for accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. This recognition takes the form of the WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award and World No Tobacco Day Awards.
Former technical head of the Health Ministry’s Tobacco Control Cell (TCC) and Focal Person for WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Dr. Ziauddin Islam, told local media the award had been given to Pakistan due to efforts made in the last decade.
The international award will be conferred to the Ministry of National Health Services on ‘World No Tobacco Day – Commit to Quit’, which will be observed on May 31 across the globe.
“Pakistan has grabbed the global award after the significant work on tobacco control through policy making as the country has set a target of reducing the number of persons consuming tobacco products by up to 30 percent by 2025,” Dawn reported, adding that the country had also successfully implemented the model of Tobacco-Smoke Free City project under which health authorities established monitoring cells on the district level to implement steps to reduce tobacco consumption.
The statement added that Pakistan had also made 304 localities and parks smoke-free in 12 different districts, becoming the world’s first country to declare smoke-free public parks. Moreover, those selling tobacco products had been registered under the Tobacco-Smoke Free City project.
Dr. Zia said the appreciation Pakistan received from WHO was due to the result of work done toward the cause during the last 12 years.
“This has included the development of tobacco control infrastructure across the country,” he told Dawn.
Other important policies included mandating pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs and progressively increasing the size of warning, rescinding smoking designated areas, smoke-free air travel, banning the sale of loose cigarettes, banning imports and sale of sheesha, ousting tobacco industry from Committee for Tobacco Advertisement Guidelines (CTAG committee) as per the recommendation of Article 5.3, banning tobacco advertisements, banning product display at the point of sale, and development and approval of Federal Health Levy Bill 2019 by federal cabinet with the recent push to re-initiate the process of its support in the upcoming months, Zia added.
Pakistan wins WHO award for anti-tobacco campaign
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Pakistan wins WHO award for anti-tobacco campaign
- Every year, WHO recognizes individuals or organizations in each of six WHO Regions for accomplishments in tobacco control
- This recognition takes the form of WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award and World No Tobacco Day Awards
Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport
Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport
- Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions in the informal sector are made without any taxes, officials say
- The move comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to introduce a cashless model at airports under which only digital service providers can provide services
KARACHI: Aik, Pakistan’s first Islamic digital bank, has enabled fully digital payments at Islamabad International Airport to offer travelers and passengers secure, Shariah compliant digital transaction facility.
The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to introduce a cashless model at airports across the country, under which only digital service providers can provide services to customers.
Aik, a subsidiary of Bank Islami, said it has onboarded merchants across the Islamabad airport and integrated QR code deployments at key touchpoints to allow passengers and visitors to make secure, seamless, and Shariah-compliant digital transactions at all counters, retail outlets, and service points.
It said the implementation complies with the regulations and framework set by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and is a working model for a large-scale adoption of cashless systems in public infrastructure.
“This deployment reflects our commitment to building practical digital infrastructure that improves everyday transactions,” Aik Chief Officer Ashfaque Ahmed said in a statement.
“By enabling a fully cashless environment at a major national gateway, we are supporting efficiency, transparency, and financial inclusion at scale. This is not only a project; it is a foundation for Pakistan’s cashless future.”
Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in the informal sector, are conducted in cash. Officials say many of these transactions are aimed at avoiding taxes.
In recent years, the SBP has taken steps to ensure a transition toward a more cashless economy so that transactions are more traceable, reducing chances of tax evasion and corruption.
By digitizing Islamabad airport, aik said it continues to invest in secure and accessible financial solutions that “expand digital participation and support national economic modernization.”
