Pakistani leading news anchors including Waseem Badami and Gharidah Farooqi are apparently promoting smoking while running campaign against smuggling of cigarettes.
The illicit trade and sale of cigarettes in Pakistan is a major problem that is affecting the economy of the country.
However, running a campaign #SmugglingOfCigarettes on social media, emphasizing the related companies to pay taxes, has left the print that renowned anchors are indirectly promoting smoking.
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Although news channels have dedicated special programs in which raids are carried out to expose corrupt elements selling counterfeit products, the anchors are disguisedly running a campaign to increase the sale of tobacco and cigarettes.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Waseem Badami highlighted that Pakistan is facing a Rs 77 billion revenue loss from the smuggling of cigarettes on yearly basis.
He added that some NGOs claim that the market share of cigarettes is around 9%, although the figure has soared to 40% of the total economy.
#SmugglingOfCigarettes k baaes Pakistan ko saalana #77BillionRevenueLoss hota hai, jiska market share barh ker 40% hogaya hai eventhough a few NGO’s have claimed it to be 9%. Prime Minister of Pakistan nay bhi is maslay ka tazkira keeya aur is ka solution zaruri hay.
Watch pic.twitter.com/9yDwSTs03d— Waseem Badami (@WaseemBadami) May 26, 2021
Likewise, Gharidah Farooqi also shed light on the illicit trade of tobacco and cigarettes through her Twitter handle.
Absolutely shocking! Ghair qanooni cigarette trade se jo Rs 77 Billion ka salaana nuksaan ho raha hai, who #MulkKaPaisa hai! #TrackAndTraceSystem se tamaam companies ko Tax Net mey laya jaye aur Pakistan ko behter mustaqbil diya jaye. pic.twitter.com/lvSmAwmfVU
— Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) May 23, 2021
With a huge fan following on social media, both anchors recalled that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had raised concerns on illegal sale of tobacco and cigarettes and its harmful impact on Pakistan’s economy.
Previously, Geo Pakistan host Huma Amir Shah had also shared a video post on her Twitter handle on the same topic but soon she realized that the caption, as well as the content, was all muddled and it was deleted immediately.
