Pakistan to skip key anti-tobacco meet

Amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan, Islamabad has decided not to participate in the Conference of Parties(COP)7, the largest global anti-tobacco conference to be held next week in India.

Aimed at discussing the progress made so far for implementation of the convention and decide on the way forward to address specific issues related to the tobacco epidemic in a comprehensive manner, the conference is attended by member countries who are parties to the WHO FCTC.

Pakistan, which is one of the parties, however, has decided to pull out from the important event. “Pakistan is yet not registered and we don’t ask parties why they are not attending,” spokesperson of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) said. The conference brings together Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s (FCTC) 180 parties, which includes almost every country in the world as well as regional economic integration organisations like the European Union, according to the WHO. Union health secretary C.K. Mishra said that they have nothing to say about Pakistan’s decision. “Invitations are being sent by the FCTC. India is just a host and therefore Pakistan’s decision of not coming for the conference is not the ministry’s concern.”

Meanwhile, on the agenda is regulation of “smokeless forms of tobacco” and e-cigarettes. India has decided to raise its pitch against the smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes, which may mean a standalone law for regulating these killer forms of tobacco.

“This is a very critical and important event that will give us an opportunity to showcase what we have done and learn from other countries. President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena is a special invited speaker at the conference and the conference will lead into Delhi Declaration for supporting measures for tobacco control,” Mr Mishra added.

About 1,500 delegates are expected to participate in the conference from around 180 countries along with other Observers in Official Relations with the WHO FCTC Secretariat, Geneva. Issues for discussions at the conference also include alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers, trade and investment issues.