The civil administration of Rawalpindi District has decided to make Murree a no-smoking zone to provide a clean atmosphere to millions of tourists who visit the hill station annually.
Presiding over a meeting of the District Tobacco Control Implementation Committee, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Mohammad Ali said that the decision is a part of the larger Tobacco Smoke-Free Cities of Pakistan (TSFCP) Initiative.
During the meeting, DC Rawalpindi said that besides recreational and tourist spots, smoking will also be prohibited in Murree’s schools, colleges, offices, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, cafes, courts, public transport vehicles, and stadiums.
He directed the Assistant Commissioner (AC) of Murree and other concerned officials to raise public awareness about the initiative and ordered them to ensure the implementation of the directives and take legal action against violators.
DC Ali remarked that Murree is a famous tourist destination that is visited by millions of tourists from all over the country every year, which is why the district administration is obliged to make provisions for clean air for them.
He added that all tehsils of Rawalpindi will gradually be made ‘no-smoking zones’, which will make Rawalpindi Pakistan’s first tobacco-free and smoke-free district.
The Head of the Tobacco Control Implementation Committee Rawalpindi (TCICR) also proposed the setting up of special clinics at major hospitals in the district to help those who are willing to give up smoking.
The Director of the Ministry of Health’s Tobacco Control said that over 150,000 people in Pakistan die every year due to different diseases caused by smoking, and acknowledged that such steps will save precious lives and will help the ministry achieve the goals of the TSFCP Initiative.
