Business
Expert call for taxing tobacco to help channelize public health initiatives
The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) had earlier pointed out deficiencies in tax collection framework as well as the need for increasing taxes on tobacco products particularly cigarettes.
Islamabad: The calls for raising taxes on tobacco are gaining momentum as Dr. Muhammad Zaman endorses the policy that imposing taxes on tobacco saves lives as was advocated by the SDPI.
Dr. Zaman, the founding chairman of the Department of Sociology at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and head of the Zaman Research Center underlined the need for imposing more taxes to save lives.
“Taxing tobacco saves lives by reducing consumption and channeling resources towards essential public health initiatives,” he said.
The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) had earlier pointed out deficiencies in tax collection framework as well as the need for increasing taxes on tobacco products particularly cigarettes. The institute had published a detailed report based on government data that says that the country lost Rs 567 in revenue during the last seven years.
The report titled "Tobacco Taxation in Pakistan: Unraveling the revenue loss of Rs567b to the exchequer," has unearthed the staggering financial toll inflicted by the tobacco industry on the national exchequer.
Dr Zaman said that cigarette is a non-essential and perilous commodity. He said affordability of the cigarettes was the major contributor to high consumption and ultimately diseases and fatalists in the country.
He said increasing prices of cigarettes was internationally proven strategy to curtail the consumption.
Dr. Zaman endorsed the alignment of tobacco taxation with the guidelines outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasizing the imperative to develop a long-term taxation policy grounded in global best practices and Article 6 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
In order to substantiate his argument of making the cigarette unaffordable to curb consumption, Dr. Zaman referred to a recent research report by Capital Calling that said that increase in prices of cigarette has resulted in decrease in consumption
The Islamabad-based think tank Capital Calling reported that “one in every ninety-four smokers was forced to quit smoking after a significant raise in taxes.”
“The interviews with the smokers and data collected from these cities show that they are now saving the money by quitting smoking to fulfil other needs like food, education and health of their children, and paying the utilities.
More than 31 million4 Pakistani adults (15+) or about 19.7 percent of the total adults use some of tobacco which is one of the highest in the world,” it further said.
Malik Imran, Country Head of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, highlighted the staggering economic toll of tobacco consumption, citing an annual loss of Rs 615 billion.
He referred to a World Bank report and said that there was ample room to increase tax on tobacco products.
“The government can generate additional Rs 17 billion Rs 65 billion from the industry by increasing the tax up to 26 percent,” he said.
Pakistan
Nawaz Sharif’s sons Hassan, Hussain set free in NAB references
Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz had approached the court seeking acquittal in Flaghship, Al-Azizia and Avenfied references.
Islamabad: An accountability court on Tuesday acquitted Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz , the sons of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Suremo and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in Flagship, Al-Azizia and Avenfield references.
Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the verdict reserved earlier on the pleas moved by Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz against three NAB references.
As the hearing commenced, Advocate Qazi Misbah-ul-Hassan and Rana Muhammad Irfan, the pleader of the Nawaz Sharif’sons, appeared before the court.
The court asked about a report that was to be submitted in the NAB references.
On it, NAB Deputy Prosecutor Azhar Maqbool told the court that the Supreme Court verdict is not a hurdle; accountability court can make a decision on this case.
The court while addressing NAB Deputy Prosecutor Azhar Maqbool observed that they would record his statement. On it, Prosecutor Maqbool submitted that the court could record his statement.
“In this case, Islamabad High Court had already decided the cases involving Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain Safdar,” said the prosecutor.
Azhar Maqbool argued that they did not file an appeal against acquittal of Maryam Nawaz while Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz were accused of conspiracy, aiding and abetting.
He told the court that the main suspects in the cases of Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz were set free.
Sports
Porto coach accuses Arteta of insulting his family
Porto coach Sergio Conceicao accused Mikel Arteta of insulting his family during Arsenal's shootout win over the Portuguese side that booked their place in the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 2010.
Asked to elaborate on what had happened, Conceicao said through a UEFA interpreter: " During the game, he turned to the bench and in Spanish -- it must be a Spanish coach thing because the same thing with (Pep) Guardiola -- he insulted my family.
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"I told him that the person he insulted is no longer with us. Let him worry about training his team, which has more than enough quality to play a lot better."
Sources at Arsenal have told ESPN that Arteta strongly denied the accusation.
Arsenal edged the fiery contest 4-2 on penalties after Leandro Trossard's 41st-minute strike levelled the round-of-16 tie at 1-1 on aggregate and forced extra time.
Wendell and Galeno had their spot kicks saved by David Raya to spark jubilant scenes at full time, but the two managers, who had been booked in separate incidents during the game, clashed again at the final whistle.
After the match, though, Arsenal and Arteta were keen to focus on a historic night when they finally ended a run of seven consecutive defeats at this stage of the competition.
"For [the team] to do it when the club hasn't managed to do it for 14 years, I tell you it will be a boost," said Arteta. "The margins are so small. You find a way to do it again. I see how much they want it, how much they try and they are able to sacrifice anything to win. When you play like this at the end good things are going to come your way.
"Now I'm going to sit at home, I'm going to look at the other teams we have to play and start another big mountain to climb."
This wasn't the first time Conceicao had taken issue with his opposite number in the Champions League. He accused then-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel of insulting him when the Blues knocked Porto out at the quarterfinal stage in April 2021.
Conceicao also made a similar claim about Man City boss Guardiola following a group stage game at Etihad Stadium in October 2020.
"I've got a lot to learn from Pep Guardiola, in the way he pressures referees, talks to opposition players and the opposition dugout," the Porto coach said at the time. "He's a fantastic example. I have to learn this. We were angels compared to the other dugout. He spoke about our country using ugly words. Guardiola's attitude was extremely unpleasant."
Arsenal join Real Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain in the pot for Friday's quarterfinal draw, with the winners of the remaining two last-16 games -- Borussia Dortmund hosting PSV Eindhoven and Internazionale away to Atletico Madrid -- rounding out the final eight teams.
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