ISLAMABAD: Pakistan raised a record Rs298 billion (around $1.1 billion) in tobacco taxes in 2024, marking a victory in the fight against tobacco use, according to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Tobacco Epidemic Report 2025. This success followed major fiscal reforms, including a 28% reduction in cigarette production.
The WHO commended Pakistan’s recent tax hikes, which included tripling cigarette taxes, doubling the minimum price of cigarettes, and increasing the share of tax in retail prices. These reforms were credited with reducing legal cigarette production and boosting government revenue, facilitated by technical collaboration between the Federal Board of Revenue and WHO.
However, despite this progress, the WHO report cautioned that Pakistan remains behind in implementing a full range of tobacco control policies. Pakistan is one of 40 countries that has not yet fully implemented any of the WHO’s MPOWER strategies, which include measures such as monitoring tobacco use, enforcing advertising bans, and offering help to quit.
While Pakistan has successfully raised tobacco taxes, other essential measures, such as graphic health warnings on packaging and mass media anti-tobacco campaigns, remain inadequate. Countries like India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have made more progress on these fronts, with India, for example, requiring graphic warnings covering 85% of cigarette packs and banning most tobacco advertising.
The report also highlighted emerging tobacco threats such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, which remain largely unregulated in Pakistan, despite global concerns about their appeal to youth.
While the WHO recognized the success of Pakistan’s tax reforms, it stressed the importance of comprehensive tobacco control. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized that raising tobacco taxes is effective in saving lives and generating revenue, but countries must address all aspects of tobacco control to protect public health.
