LAHORE: Pakistan amongst top three Asian countries after Philippines and Vietnam that consume illicit tobacco products.
According to the latest Asia-14 illicit indicator report, a huge quantity of tax-evaded and smuggled cigarettes are consumed in the country as a large number of local brands are being sold without paying any duty.
Sources said that the government has been taken measures to curb the practice and several Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) departments and law enforcement agencies including Inland Revenue Intelligence, Customs Intelligence, Police, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Rangers have been tasked with the eradication of illicit tobacco trade but in vain.
