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Press Releases
HABIBMETRO holds first Sirat Islamic Banking summit

The Islamic banking brand of HABIBMETRO Bank, organized the first HABIBMETRO Sirat Islamic banking summit, which was attended by various stakeholders including SBP, PSX & SECP officials as well as CEO’s and Shariah Board Members of various banks, Shariah scholars, and businessmen.

The summit was held in honor of the visit of HABIBMETRO Sirat’s Shariah Board Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Daud Bakar, a globally renowned Malaysian Shariah scholar and award-winning author. Dr. Daud is the Founder & Group Chairman of Amanie Group and is a Shariah Board Member of various foreign banks. He has been awarded with ‘The Royal Award for Islamic Finance 2022’ by the King of Malaysia.

During the day-long summit, Tan Sri Dr. Daud Bakar held interactive sessions with diverse audience groups and discussed emerging opportunities and challenges in the global Islamic banking industry.
Speaking at the event, Tan Sri Dr. Daud Bakar, said, “I am extremely delighted and privileged to be here in Pakistan and to represent HABIBMETRO Bank, which has established itself as one of the most trusted financial institutions here in Pakistan, courtesy its global vision of advancing forward and playing a pivotal role in shaping the Islamic finance sector of the country.”

The inaugural session of the summit was presided by Ms. Sima Kamil, Deputy Governor, State Bank of Pakistan. During her address the Deputy Governor said, “Finance is a fundamental pre-requisite for growth of any economy and Islamic finance by virtue of its faith based nature offers inherent synergies with risk and rewards mechanisms which offer an ideal solution. Islamic finance structures are derived from Shariah, which dictates that Islamic financial transactions should be supported by underlying productive activities and emphasizes on a close relationship between financial transactions and the real economy.”

Discussing the challenges faced towards the transformation of conventional banking into Islamic Banking, she added, “The key challenge here is the adequate supply of Islamic finance experts. There is a growing need for qualified Islamic finance professionals who can spearhead the financial industry to the next stage, However, she assured that the State bank of Pakistan remains fully committed to provide all possible support and facilitation to the banks during their conversion process.”

Mr. Mohsin Ali Nathani, President & CEO HABIBMETRO while welcoming participation of the esteemed guests at the Banking Summit said, “We are immensely honored to have Tan Sri Dr. Daud Baker, a scholar and author of international repute, chair HABIBMETRO Sirat’s Shariah Board. His visit to Pakistan is an immense learning opportunity for all of us. His guidance and leadership give notable impetus to HABIBMETRO’s Islamic banking segment. His leadership, along with the supportive environment provided by the SBP for promotion of Islamic Banking, will insha’Allah drive meaningful growth in HABIBMETRO Sirat.”

HABIBMETRO has been promoting Islamic banking for the last 18 years. The Bank’s vision is in alignment with the government and SBP’s strategic plan for the promotion and growth of Islamic banking in Pakistan. Sirat is a global brand that offers Islamic products in 5 key markets, with Pakistan being the largest market; the Sirat brand was home-grown in Pakistan and exported to UK, UAE, South Africa and Switzerland. In Pakistan, HABIBMETRO Sirat is amongst the top 5 Islamic Banking Windows.

HABIBMETRO Bank is a subsidiary of Habib Bank AG Zurich, which operates in 10 countries across four continents. HABIBMETRO Bank has a network of 500 branches in 194 cities across Pakistan. HABIBMETRO Sirat operates with 61 dedicated branches and 242 windows in 59 cities across Pakistan.

Standard chartered finds minimum $30bn climate adaptation investment needed

Failure to invest the bare minimum needed to withstand projected climate damage could cost emerging markets hundreds of billions in climate damages and lost GDP growth this decade, according to a new study by Standard Chartered.

The Adaptation Economy, which investigates the need for climate adaptation investment in 10 markets – including China, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan – reveals that, without investing a minimum of USD30 billion in adaptation by 2030, these markets could face projected damages and lost GDP growth of USD377 billion: over 12 times that amount.

The projection assumes that the world succeeds in limiting temperature rises to 1.5°C, in line with the Paris Agreement. In a 3.5°C scenario the estimated minimum investment required more than doubles to USD62 billion and potential losses escalate dramatically if the investment is not made.

Examples of climate adaptation projects include the creation of coastal barrier protection solutions for areas vulnerable to flooding, the development of drought-resistant crops and early-warning systems against pending natural disasters.

Among the 10 markets in the study, India is projected to benefit the most from adaptation investment. The market would require an estimated USD11billion to prevent climate damages and lost growth of USD135.5 billion in a 1.5°C warming scenario – equal to a thirteen-to-one return for the Indian economy of investment in climate adaptation.

Meanwhile, China could avoid an estimated cost of USD112 billion by investing just USD8 billion. And Kenya could avoid costs of an estimated USD2 billion by investing USD200 million in adaptation.

Market Minimum investment required (1.5°C) (USD) Economic benefit (USD)
India 10.6 billion 135.5 billion
China 8.1 billion 111.9 billion
Indonesia 4 billion 39 billion
UAE 2.7 billion 31.5 billion
Nigeria 1.5 billion 19.9 billion
Bangladesh 1.2 billion 11.6 billion
Egypt 900 million 8.6 billion
Vietnam 600 million 8.9 billion
Pakistan 600 million 7.6 billion
Kenya 200 million 2.2 billion

The case for adaptation
Even if the world’s nations manage to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, measures to adapt to climate change must be pursued alongside the global decarbonisation agenda, with the banking sector having a critical role to play in unlocking finance.

The USD30 billion investment required for adaptation represents only slightly more than 0.1 per cent of combined annual GDP of the 10 markets in the study and much less than the estimated USD95 trillion emerging markets require to transition to net zero using mitigation measures, as outlined in Standard Chartered’s Just in Time report.

The Adaptation Economy also surveyed 150 bankers, investors and asset managers and found that, currently, just 0.4% of the capital held by respondents is allocated to adaptation in emerging markets where investment is needed most.

However, 59% of respondents plan to increase their adaptation investments over the next 12 months. And on average, adaptation financing is expected to rise from 0.8% of global assets in 2022 to 1.4% by 2030.

Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer, Standard Chartered, said: “This report makes it clear that irrespective of efforts to keep global warming as close to 1.5C as possible we are going to have to incorporate climate-warming effects into our systems and adapt to its reality.”

“All nations will need to adapt to climate change by building more resilient agriculture, industry and infrastructure, but the need is greatest in emerging and fast-developing economies with a disproportionate risk of exposure to the negative effects of rising temperatures and extreme weather.”

“We must urgently recognise that adaptation is a shared necessity, and as our Adaptation Economy research so effectively highlights, inaction creates a shared societal burden of exponentially increasing cost. The financial sector has a crucial role to play in directing capital towards adaptation and creating the proof points to demonstrate that investing in adaptation can be a commercially viable attractive proposition for the private sector.”

PSAA demands continuity of outward remittance of surplus freight amounts

Pakistan Ship’s Agents Association (PSAA) was formed in 1976 and is the largest and oldest Trade Association representing Shipping Lines/Agents whose 60 members handle all types of cargo i.e. containerized cargo, liquid cargo and dry bulk cargo at Pakistani seaports.

PSAA members are deeply perturbed due to discontinuation of outward remittance of surplus freight amounts to respective foreign shipping lines which will badly hamper Pakistan’s seaborne trade which is heavily dependent on foreign shipping lines. Judging from the current state of affairs, where the shipping sector is badly hit by economic ups and downs, any further delays in remitting their legitimate dues will constrain Pakistani foreign trade.

Furthermore, foreign shipping lines are already considering reducing their services in Pakistan due to reduced cargo volumes. Stopping their remittances will create havoc for Pakistan’s international trade which will in turn worsen the current economic situation.

PSAA has already written to the Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, Finance Minister, Minister of Commerce and Minister of Maritime Affairs in this regard and again requests the concerned Government officials to intervene in order to ensure continuity in Pakistan’s seaborne trade by allowing outward remittance of surplus freight amounts to respective foreign shipping lines forthwith.

Mubadala Energy, OMV and PARCO join forces to explore opportunities in sustainable fuels

Mubadala Energy, the Abu Dhabi-based international energy company, has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with OMV Downstream GmbH (OMV) and Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO) to explore opportunities in sustainable fuels and feedstock production in Pakistan.

Under this agreement the companies will explore the possibility of pursuing projects in circular economy initiatives, including plastics production and recycling, sustainable fuels and feedstock as well as the development of synthetic oil and chemical products. The collaboration builds on a well-established partnership between Mubadala Energy, OMV and PARCO and seeks to utilize cutting edge technologies while leveraging existing infrastructure and market access.

In line with Mubadala Energy’s strategy to pursue opportunities in new energy sectors and low carbon solutions, the agreement also supports its recently launched sustainability strategy that pinpoints three key priorities: Creating a positive environmental impact, supporting responsible operations, and being a partner of choice. Through the MoU the partners also hope to further support efforts to ensure energy security within key customer centers.

Mansoor Mohamed Al Hamed, Mubadala Energy CEO, commented: “We have set out a clear strategy to pursue new energy sectors and low carbon solutions in support of the energy transition. This agreement brings together existing partners to combine leading technology, energy transition expertise and market infrastructure to realize the potential of circular economy solutions, at scale. With the UAE’s commitment to net zero emissions, I am excited to see this collaboration contribute to these goals.”

For OMV, the project supports the company’s net zero emissions targets and is line with a strategy to become a leading, innovative producer of sustainable fuels and feedstock. For PARCO, the agreement has the potential to position the company as an important player in the circular economy and deepen integration into the chemicals & materials industry, while proactively developing sustainable, low-carbon solutions that help diversify its business.

Mr. Shahid Mahmood Khan, Managing Director, PARCO, commented: “As the energy lifeline of the nation, we resolve to secure a sustainable energy future for the Country. Pakistan has immense potential to move towards environmentally friendly fuels. We are glad to collaborate with Mubadala Energy and OMV to accelerate energy transition in Pakistan. Their technology and expertise will play an instrumental role in exploring avenues for circular economy and sustainable fuels.”

Fly Emirates to Dubai and get free tickets to three much-loved attractions in the UAE

Emirates has announced an exciting new offer for travellers planning to start 2023 with new experiences on a trip to Dubai. Starting from January 16 to January 29, 2023, travellers who purchase an Emirates return ticket to or stopping over in Dubai will be able to also enjoy complimentary passes to three of the city’s most popular attractions: Views from At the Top, Burj Khalifa the Dubai Fountains Boardwalk Experience and a 45-minute Yellow Boats Atlantis Blast Tour.

This special offer is valid for all return tickets to or stopping over in Dubai, purchased using code EKDXB23 until January 29, 2023. The offer is available on bookings made on emirates.com via the Emirates Call centre or participating travel agents, for travel from January 18, 2023 and March 31, 2023.

Look out for more exciting offers like these in the coming months, to make the most of your next winter sun escape to Dubai with Emirates.

Explore more of Dubai with Emirates

With Emirates there is something for every traveller when visiting Dubai, particularly for those looking for a little winter sun. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences.

My Emirates Winter Pass: Customers flying to or through Dubai can simply show their boarding pass and a valid form of identification to hundreds of retail, leisure and dining outlets, as well as famous attractions and luxury spas, to enjoy fantastic discounts throughout Dubai and the UAE. To see all My Emirates Pass offers, please visit www.emirates.com/myemiratespass.

Emirates has safely restarted operations to more than 130 destinations, across six continents and currently operates over 50 flights per week from Pakistan to Dubai.

For more information, visit emirates.com. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, via travel agents or through online travel agents.

Geneva’s aid for Pakistan a great effort: Mian Zahid Hussain

Chairman of National Business Group Pakistan, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum, and All Karachi Industrial Alliance, and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on January 11 said announcements and commitments of more than ten billion dollars for Pakistan by the international community in the Geneva Conference arranged by Pakistan and the UN is a success for Pakistan.

The conference proves successful diplomacy and improvement in Pakistan-US relations by the current government, which will not only provide relief to the thirty million flood victims but also end the rumours about Pakistan’s default, he said.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that the success of this conference has also shown that Pakistan’s global isolation has ended and the international community stands with Islamabad.

Talking to the business community, the veteran business leader said that the credit for the reduction of tensions with an important country like America goes to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, for which they deserve compliments.

Due to the efforts of the Prime Minister, the provinces also participated in this conference, which was a sign of national unity to the participants of the conference and sent a positive message, he added.
The business leader also lauded the dedication, skills, and role of the relevant diplomats and other officials of Pakistan in this regard.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his team have fulfilled their responsibilities. Economic Affairs Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Environmental Minister Sherry Rehman and Information and Broadcasting Minister Maryam Aurangzeb also made great efforts.

The Information Minister highlighted the efforts of various ministries, the Minister of State for External Affairs worked hard, and the Foreign Secretary, ambassadors and other diplomats also worked day and night which yielded positive results.

He said that after this success, the real challenge is to implement these announcements and promises, for which a transparent method of spending will have to be adopted and all the concerned people should also use their capabilities for it so that the international community is not disappointed.

PMEX partners with Telenor Pakistan to offer commodity futures trading

Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX), the country’s only multi-commodity futures exchange, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Telenor Pakistan to create awareness of futures trading through the My Telenor App.

Through this partnership, the two companies aim to explore and develop digital linkages in areas of mutual interest. Enabling futures trading in My Telenor App will facilitate millions of customers to benefit from investment opportunities through futures trading.

Ejaz Ali Shah, Managing Director, PMEX, commenting on the occasion stated, “PMEX endeavors to explore innovative ways of doing business and is relentlessly striving to create opportunities for retail investors across Pakistan to trade futures digitally. Our collaborative strategic partnership with Telenor Pakistan is a step forward toward achieving this objective. Through Telenor Pakistan’s digital touch points including the My Telenor App, PMEX plans to offer an opportunity to Telenor Pakistan customers to open their accounts digitally and trade commodity futures at its regulated platform easily and conveniently. We are confident that this collaboration will expand our outreach to all nooks and corners of the country, giving an opportunity to more people to trade futures at PMEX.”

Umair Mohsin, Chief Marketing Officer, Telenor Pakistan, said, “While Pakistan has made great progress in recent years in terms of financial inclusion, there is still a lot of room for improvement and most importantly, positive guidance. Our partnership with PMEX aims to provide awareness and information to the hardworking, everyday Pakistani in their journey towards prosperity. At Telenor Pakistan, we are more committed than ever to empower people across the country to take better control of their finances through convenient digital means, and this collaboration is a key step in this regard.”

Jazz extends digital Pakistan fellowship program to Fatima Jinnah Women University

Jazz, Pakistan’s leading digital operator and a part of VEON Group, is extending its Digital Pakistan Fellowship Program to the students of Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), the country’s first public women university. The Fellowship is designed to engage the youth in a meaningful discourse around tech-based innovation. It will equip participants with tech insights, thus enabling them to play a pivotal role in building the creative economy based on the Digital Pakistan narrative.

Jazz previously launched this fellowship program at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) with the same ambition.

A ceremony was held at FJWU to commemorate this development and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Jazz and FJWU. This industry-academia partnership is a reaffirmation of Jazz’s commitment to fostering innovation-led sustainable growth in Pakistan. The fellowship program will also give participating students the exposure to understand the nuances of tech journalism.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Jazz CEO, Aamir Ibrahim, said, “Positively impacting the lives and livelihoods of women is at the heart of everything we do at Jazz. We are always creating new avenues of growth for women and through this partnership, we hope to encourage more women to participate in the tech-based discourse in the country.”

Jazz’s alliance with FJWU is a testament to the Telco’s commitment to accelerating national development and digital inclusivity. Through this fellowship program, Jazz delivers on the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 5 – Gender Equality; SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; and SDG 10 – Reduced Inequality.

Dawlance and Habib-Metro Bank extend financial facilities for contractors

Dawlance is Pakistan’s leading manufacturer of home appliances, which has now signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Habib-Metro Bank Limited (HMBL) to enable the suppliers and contractors of Dawlance, to undertake Supply Chain Finance (SCF) transactions with ease. The objective of this collaboration is to provide the Dawlance vendors with the option to avail invoice financing from the CashNow® platform of HMBL.

The CashNow® portal is a convenient tool – structured to execute Supply-Chain Finance transactions for vendors and contractors of resourceful companies. So, Dawlance vendors can derive tremendous advantages by availing HMB financing facilities, against their invoices, for smooth execution of Supply-Chain Finance transactions.

The Chief Executive Officer of Dawlance – Umar Ahsan Khan said that: “I would like to thank the Habib Metro Bank for creating synergies with Dawlance to enhance the ease-of-doing-business in Pakistan. We are committed to support and build-capacity of our vendors and contractors, who play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of our innovative products and strengthening Dawlance as a technology-leader in Pakistan, with sustainable growth. This collaboration with Habib Metro Bank is aimed at strengthening our contractors’ ability to meet their financial and business needs.”

Dawlance is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arcelik – the 2nd largest manufacturer in Europe. It is committed to create greater solutions and convenience for its business associates, while catering to the evolving needs of the customers in Pakistan and exporting high quality products to other countries. Dawlance’s award-winning technologies to conserve more than 55% energy, for promising long term sustainability.”

Habib-Metro Bank is a leading financial institution of Pakistan and it is a subsidiary of Habib Bank AG Zurich, which has established robust operations in 10 countries, across 4 continents. HABIBMETRO Bank has a network of 498 branches in 198 cities, all over Pakistan.

Descon partners with US firm to provide engineering services in Gulf countries

Descon Engineering, a leading Engineering enterprise in the region, has joined hands with KBR, a leading Global Engineering and Project company, to extend the scope of their joint pursuit of outsourced maintenance and turnaround management opportunities across the Gulf countries.

Taimur Dawood, Chairman of Descon, and Jay Ibrahim, President of KBR’s Sustainable Technology Solutions, inked a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Dubai in this regard, extending their mutual area of expertise to the Gulf countries.

This strategic alliance will leverage both KBR and Descon’s combined strength as leaders of industrial services in the market to optimize client OPEX, improve asset availability and reliability through KBR’s portfolio of advanced digital solutions, and Descon’s presence across the Gulf countries.

Commenting on this momentous development, Taimur Dawood, Chairman of Descon, observed, “Descon holds great stature in the engineering sector of Gulf countries and is playing a pivotal role in the industrial growth of the region. This accord with KBR will allow us to extend our already existing skillset and expertise, and implement mutual learnings to achieve exponential growth.”

Jay Ibrahim, President of KBR’s Sustainable Technology Solutions, said, “This agreement signals our confidence in this alliance following our success in the delivery of outsourced maintenance services in Qatar since 2021, and maps out the foundation for future growth of this strategic partnership.”

Descon is committed to delivering quality services with safety and is determined to continue being a reliable partner in progress for KBR.

Descon Engineering, having completed 40 years in the Gulf region, continues to strengthen its strong foothold in the region and build on its customer base, adding value to the regions multiple industry sectors.

CPEC awareness gathering

Department of H&SS in collaboration with Bahria Business School and Media Studies Department organized a guest speaker session on 16th January 2023 at Bahria University Karachi Campus in order to create awareness regarding 2nd phase of CPEC and Chinese development in order to learn from the journey of China and the possible opportunities for socio economic development of Pakistan.

Session was graced by Dr. Hassan Daud Butt (former project Director CPEC & CEO KP BOIT/ BUIC).

Urban planning and climate change discussed

Department of H&SS in collaboration with Media Studies Department organize a Seminar on Urban Planning and Climate Change on 3rd January 2023 at Bahria University Karachi Campus under the supervision of Ms. Urooj Aijaz, commander Qaiser Zaman and Ms. Sana Mughal with an objective to inculcate knowledge among the students that climate affects our health, ability to grow food, housing, safety and much more so, climate crisis is not only the physical and environmental crisis but a human crisis which impact our urban areas and require special policy measures and actions to address.

Session graced by Mr. Iqbal Memon (Chief Guest/Commissioner Karachi), Dr. Noman (Dean NED University/ Urban Planning Expert), Mr. Waqar (Director Sindh Environment Protection Agency).

DG Khan cement makes record delivery to USA

In year 2022, DG Khan Cement Company Limited of Nishat Group secured an order from a Group in USA to supply 600,000 tons of high-quality low alkali cement. First consignment of 50,000 tons shipped in June 2022 to USA. That was for the first time in the history of Pakistan to export cement to the sophisticated USA market. On arrival of first ship “Tomni Felicity” in USA, customers were satisfied with its quality and demanded for continuing with the shipments. Second consignment has been successfully loaded on vessel ABU AL ABYAD which is set to sail for Houston, Texas, USA today on 18th January 2023.

“Getting to this stage was not a piece of cake”, according to Director Marketing of the Company, “It was in August 2021 when we visited USA to secure this order, subsequently the customer’s representatives visited our cement plant at Hub and asked to supply high quality low alkali cement that was developed specially for USA customer. It took a period of six months to obtain the technical certifications from USA authorities like “TXDOT”, “NCDOT”, “SCDOT” and “LODOT”. It was a great achievement and honor on part of Pakistan cement Industry that opened the gates to huge USA market.

It is for the first time ever that a Pakistani Cement Manufacturer, DG Khan Cement Company has entered into USA market as the demand for construction materials in USA has increased manifolds with buyers looking for new sources of supply following President Biden’s $6 trillion infrastructure package. Under this package, all mega infrastructure projects including freeways, bridges and roads will be rebuilt or given facelifts as some of these were constructed almost a century ago.

Looking at the response from USA customers, “INTERCEM” invited Company Director Marketing, Mr. Farid Fazal to make a presentation at the International Cement Conference in Houston which generated large number of inquiries from prospective customers.

Nishat Group is one of the largest and most diversified business groups in South East Asia, the group has now become a multidimensional conglomerate and is playing an important role in the industrial and economic development of the country. Firmly believing in “growth through professional management”

DG Khan Cement Company Limited (DGKCC) under Nishat Group is amongst largest cement manufacturers of Pakistan with a production capacity of 25,000 tons cement per day (7.500 million tons/annum). DGKCC has three cement plants located at Dera Ghazi Khan, Kalar Kahar and Hub. Plants and equipment are supplied by renowned European suppliers and are based on the latest Dry Process Technology. DGKCC is the first to use innovative technologies in the cement industry. DGKCC latest state of the art plant located at Hub is first of its kind to have largest production line with six stage preheater tower, largest vertical grinding mill based on COPE drive system, multiple chamber cement storage silos to store different products at the same time.

DGKCC’s aim of being at the forefront in creating foundations for a prosperous tomorrow is backed by the Company’s philosophy of providing outstanding value to its customers, safe and stimulating work environment for its employees, superior returns for its shareholders and special focus on corporate social responsibility, maintaining Eco-Friendly environment and contribution to reduce carbon foot prints by using renewable energy, waste heat recovery and alternate fuels.

Under present tough financial conditions and crisis in Pakistan, the company’s focus is to earn valuable foreign exchange for the country through export of cement hoping to create opportune moments for Pakistan.

Science-backed policy must for smoke-free Pakistan

Smoking happens to be one of the leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide and several harm reduction strategies have been put in place to prevent the high number of deaths by offering smokers less harmful alternatives.

Over the past decade, several countries have decided to go smoke-free as a part of their public health goals. Tobacco, when burned, releases nicotine and smoke along with thousands of other toxic chemicals that are harmful to the body and the environment.

There has been a reform of tobacco control policies, with a focus on achieving smoke-free societies through the use of less harmful cigarette alternatives in countries that include Philippines, Japan, US, UK, Sweden, Norway and Iceland among others.

Pakistan too is well on its way to regulate HTPs (heated tobacco products) in the country. Recently, an SRO to legalize HTPs was put forward by the Ministry of Health and approved by the Federal Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC).

Given that more than 20% of the country’s population smokes, it is necessary for Pakistan to take a science-backed approach in formulating a national policy that has proven to bring down the number of smokers in various countries where it’s being implemented.

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