ISLAMABAD, Feb 5: The Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Nonsmokers Health Ordinance 2002 is still awaiting implementation thanks to lack of political will on the part of the government. This lack of commitment has made a mockery of the ordnance.

A perfect example of this violation was a traffic signal at Abbottabad that carries a sign board giving directions to the government offices. The board has not only displayed the directions to offices of District Nazim, Deputy Inspector General of Police, District Police Officer and the District Coordination Officer, it has an advertisement of a local tobacco product too.

The very placement of the advertisement speaks volumes for the will attached to curbing the menace of tobacco.

Interestingly, all the four officers that are responsible for implementing the ordinance in their respective areas are themselves involved in violation of the law.

According to the SRO (Statutory Regulatory Order), issued on June 30, 2003, the Ordinance under Section 654 has authorised all members of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), Provincial Assemblies, all District, Tehsil and Union Council Nazims, Deputy Nazims councillors, all police officers above the rank of Sub-Inspector and all government officers above BPS 20 to implement the law.

The Advertising Guidelines Committee, a legal body constituted under the ordinance working under the ministry of health has prohibited such advertisements on sign boards by tobacco manufacturers.

Implementation of the anti-tobacco law is far from becoming a reality as the ‘offices’ responsible for protecting and implementing the law are breaking it.

A source in an NGO working on anti-tobacco initiatives said it was depressing to know that the much trumpeted ordinance now could only be seen either in the files or on the good looking presentation slides that the ministry of health prepares to impress their donors and the international agencies.

He said when world was moving forward in the direction of tobacco-free living through imposing a complete ban on direct and indirect advertising, promoting and sponsorship the direct involvement of government authorities in promotion of smoking was shocking.