Pakistan’s Peshawar High Court has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to de-seal 26 cigarette factories in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that were shut for failing to install CCTV cameras under a directive that was issued August 18 and enforced August 25. Petitioners, including Universal Tobacco Company, argued the order was discriminatory as multinationals were exempted, despite already complying with tracking-and-tracing regulations. Their lawyer contended the new CCTV requirement was excessive, with factories already under electronic monitoring and tax office supervision.
A bench led by Justice Wiqar Ahmad and Justice Mohammad Ijaz Khan ruled that no further action be taken against the petitioners until the next hearing on September 11.