“Naswar is not prohibited in Islam,” says KP Minister

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Provincial Minister for Agriculture, Muhammad Sajjad has said that naswar (smokeless tobacco) consumption is not prohibited in Islam. 

He clarified it does not fall under the categories of sin or reward.

The KP government presented the Finance Bill 2024 in the assembly on Monday and imposed a substantial increase in development cess on tobacco.

While discussing the amendment of the Finance Bill in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session, KP Minister Muhammad Sajjad opined, "Snuff is the drug of the poor, in Shariat snuff is not haram, but permissible, and what is permissible is neither haram nor halal."

After a recent amendment, the production cess jumped from R6 per kilogram to Rs50. This increase applied to all tobacco products, including white leaf, rising from Rs3 to Rs30, and snuff going up from Rs2.50 to Rs7.50 per kilogram.

Earlier, KP finance advisor pointed out that the 18th Amendment devolved taxation to the provinces. Therefore, the province has the right to impose a tax on tobacco production, especially as the province contributes 80% of the country's tobacco.

Opposition members Sobia Shahid and Ahmed Kundi had proposed amendments to the Finance Bill, calling for a levy on snuff and cigarettes, which are categorised as luxury items, rather than increasing taxes on education.

PML-N MPA Sobia Shahid has emphasised that taxes on tobacco exports should be higher, while taxes on private schools and colleges should be abolished.