Deputy Commissioner Haripur, Shoaib Abbas, has imposed a 90-day ban on e-cigarettes, vapes, and related nicotine products in Haripur district, effective from September 6, 2024, under Section 144.
This ban restricts the use of e-cigarettes, vapes, and nicotine products in public transport and spaces. It also forbids the promotion of these products through media, as well as the display of related advertisements on walls or vehicles. Additionally, the sale of these items to individuals under 21 years old is prohibited. The ban includes restrictions on storing or selling these products within a 100-meter radius of schools, colleges, hospitals, and public parks.
In a related development, the Sindh government has also imposed a ban on the sale of items used for drug consumption. Under directives from Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Karachi’s commissioner has issued a notification under Section 144 prohibiting the sale of pipes (wooden, acrylic, glass, stone, plastic, and ceramic), roach clips, chillums, bongs, and marijuana pipes. Local police Station House Officers (SHOs) are authorized to enforce these restrictions under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Furthermore, the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology has approved Pakistan’s first-ever Cannabis Authority Bill after a delay of over four years due to inter-ministerial disputes. During the committee meeting, Chairman Senator Kamil Ali Agha called for a detailed review of the bill’s clauses. Senators Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, Musadik Masood Malik, and Nasir Mehmood supported the bill’s immediate passage. PTI Senator Shibli Faraz, who oversaw the bill’s initial drafting, expressed concerns about bypassing thorough review and threatened to submit a dissenting note if the bill were rushed through.
