The Association's president Haji Mubeen Yousaf in a statement on Monday said that such a derogatory term is a slap on the face of hundreds of thousands of retailers who earn their livelihood by retailing cold drinks and tobacco products. "I fail to understand how someone can be so insensitive towards his own people and blatantly disregard sentiments of the poor people of Pakistan he said.
He also endorsed the statement of the Chairman Sarhad Chamber of Agriculture Fazli Ilahi Khan who also condemned this tax. He asked that who gave the right to the health minister to issue a Fatwa and call cigarettes and cold drinks a sin.
He further said that everyone should go and hear the speech of the prime minister on his 100 days progress where he mentioned that there exists 40 percent illegal trade with cigarettes selling at Rs 25 a pack. "This is what you should be controlling instead of proposing taxes and measures which will further increase the illegal cigarettes from 40 to 60 percent or even more," he said.
"Such shameless and irresponsible statements aimed at insulting and depriving poor farmers and retailers of their legitimate right to business are unacceptable." He demanded an apology from the minister and sought intervention of the Prime Minister to put an end to such irresponsible proposal from his cabinet member.