Sheesha centres be sealed throughout country: SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday directed the federal government and provincial governments to ban all the sheesha centres all through the country.
The federal government submitted a report informing the SC that it had sealed and imposed fine on 19 cafés and shops in the capital serving sheesha and selling cigarette packs without ‘warning picture’.
The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration submitted a report before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, hearing a sumo moto case against illegal sheesha cafes in the country.
The court directed all the provincial governments to launch a massive crackdown on sheesha cafes and submit a comprehensive report regarding measures taken for the prevention of sheesha smoking.
During the course of hearing, Deputy Attorney General Sohail Mahmood submitted a report, compiled by the ICT Assistant Commissioner.
According to the report, the ICT has sealed and imposed fine of Rs50,000 on cafes and shops serving sheesha and selling cigarette packs without warning picture.
The ICT administration submitted that it made surprise visits to the federal capital wherein Redx café, situated in F-11 Markaz was found serving sheesha and as a result it was sealed and the owners were fined Rs50,000 under Section 8, 9 and 10 of Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smoker’s Health Ordinance 2002.
The report further stated that on August 16, 2015 a surprise visit to various cafes in F-10 Markaz and F-11 Markaz was made. In this regard, the report added that Café Redex was again found serving sheesha to customers hence legal action was taken under Section 8, 9 and 10 of the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smoker’s Health Ordinance 2002 and the café was sealed and the owner was fined Rs100,000.
The report also gave details of total 19 cafes and shops which were sealed and fined for selling sheesha and selling cigarette packs without warning picture. These cafes and shops were Café Encantre, F-10 Markaz, Café Red, F-10 Markaz, Madina Cash and Carry, F-1I Markaz, Rear Price General Store, F-11 Markaz, M Asif Pan Shop, M Nisar, D Watson, F-10 Markaz, Iftikhar Super General Store, F-10 Markaz, Iqbal General Store, Jabran, Mobeen Cold Corner, F-10 Markaz, Roof Top Café, F-6, Sheesha Café, Argentina Park, Violet Café, G-6, Pizza Party, F-7, Café Lounge, E-11 and Charcoal Café, I-8 Markaz.
During the course of hearing Deputy Attorney General Sohail Mahmood also informed the court that the ban imposed on tobacco advertisement had been assailed before the Sindh High Court (SHC) in a petition in which a restraining order had been passed whereby the ban on the advertisement could not be enforced and requested for early disposal of the petition.
At this, the court summoned all the relevant record from the SHC.Earlier, during the course of hearing the court asked the advocates general of all the four provinces about the implementation of the government’s earlier notification regarding a ban on cigarette smoking at public places.
The court was informed that all the district administrations had been directed to strictly implement the no-smoking order in their respective provinces.However, the chief justice said authorities had only managed to put signboards in public places instead of implementing the order.
A report submitted by the Sindh government indicated that a number of sheesha cafes had not only been sealed throughout the province but the owners had been penalised. The report, however, failed to cite the number of such cafes.
Similarly, Razaq A Mirza, Punjab additional Advocate General informed the court that a bill on the subject matter had already been moved in the Punjab Assembly. The chief justice however, observed that the bill was submitted in the assembly last year but no law had been enacted in this regard as yet.
Meanwhile, the court directed all the provincial governments to ensure implementation of anti-smoking laws and submit a comprehensive report, stating measures being taken for the prevention of sheesha smoking and adjourned the hearing.