Bill Submitted To Make The Sale of Gutka A Cognisable Offence
To legislate for a ban on the sale of gutka in Sindh, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Rubina Qaimkhani submitted a private bill to the Sindh Assembly Secretariat.
The draft of the Sindh Prohibition on Manufacture, Promotion and Sale of Gutka and Mainpuri Act 2017, submitted on the 17th of October, suggests seven (7) years of confinement with a fine which may extend to Rs 100,000 as a punishment for those who manufacture, market and sell gutka and mainpuri.
The number of gutka and mainpuri consumers is increasing with the passage of time and there is a dire need to ban these products and create awareness among the citizens of Sindh about the hazardous effects.
The PPP MPA informed that an organisation had been created to conduct surveys and mobilise people against the menace of gutka and mainpuri.
According to the proposed law, the sale and manufacture of gutka shall be cognisable and a non-bailable offence. “No court inferior to the court of sessions shall try an offence punishable under this Act,” the draft reads.
The PPP MPA was hopeful that the bill would be taken up in the upcoming session of the Provincial Assembly, as there was an urgency to deal with the issue.
It may be mentioned that the Sindh High Court recently took notice of the sale and purchase of gutka in Sindh and ordered the concerned authorities to take action. However, the authorities have not been able to put an end to the sale of gutka.
