PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Secretariat has protested against the private bill on the regulation of Naswar manufacturing and selling. This bill named the Naswar Act 2026 has been tabled in the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and it was presented by the member of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Party Amina Sardar. It regulates the manufacture and selling of Naswar.
According to reports, the Assembly Secretariat had a legal objection to this bill stating that the department in charge of this bill should have been notified. Once the department will be nominated, its final verdict will be announced through the Department of Law. According to the draft bill, manufacturing or selling the Naswar without a license would be treated as an offense and it will have a fine of up to PKR 30,000. Moreover, it should be sold in sealed packaging and it should not be sold within 100 meters of schools, madrassas, and hospitals.
The sale of Naswar to children will carry a penalty of PKR 50,000 as well as a jail term for a year. There will also be a total prohibition on the sale of Naswar products using online methods, social media, and deliveries. The bill will include provisions for prohibition of advertising, promotion, and free distribution of Naswar.
Spitting Naswar in public spaces will lead to an immediate penalty of PKR 1,000, and the DCs, ACs, and health officers will have powers to launch raid operations and seal off shops selling illegally Naswar products.
The objective of the bill is to address the growing concerns regarding excessive use and sale of Naswar products in the region. This bill focuses on health and welfare of minors in particular. The next step will be to identify the department that will oversee this bill and give its approval.
