This is apropos of the news article titled ‘NUST unmoved on gender discriminatory smoking ban’
ISLAMABAD: This is apropos of the news article titled ‘NUST unmoved on gender discriminatory smoking ban’, published in this newspaper on October 8. In the garb of making a case for gender equality, the reporter appears to have unwarrantedly criticised NUST for its recently promulgated smoking restriction policy.
The narrative, however, suggests that it is entirely based on assumptions derived from second-hand information. First, the author quotes a project manager of an organisation, namely Smoke-Free Islamabad, which falsely claims to have negotiated with the ‘varsity’ with regard to building smoking corners. Second, the author quotes the national coordinator at the Coalition for Tobacco Control, who claims, “…the university is also violating the law,” and “noting that there was (is) no provision in the law for creating corners for smoking, segregated or not.”
The claim is totally contrary to the fact. NUST Policy of Designated Smoking Places is exactly in line with the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance 2002. It is also pertinent to mention that NUST has strictly prohibited sale or storage of cigarettes, etc, within its premises, in adherence to Clause 9 of the same Ordinance.
The purpose of introducing the smoking policy is to restrict smoking to designated spots only and then discourage it ultimately through self-motivation. Simultaneously, with the aforementioned ill-informed claims, the author has raised the issue of barring female students from entering the designated smoking spots. It would have been better, had she taken into account the fact that such policies neither are discriminatory nor are formulated in a vacuum. Conversely, these are shaped in the light of our socio-cultural context.
NUST legacy is built upon sublime standards of education and morality. The university is distinguished for its highly learned and all-round graduates, who have done the country proud by their meritorious accomplishments. It is high time our media acted maturely so that it does not have to compromise on the sanctity of institutions in its race for breaking ‘exclusive’ news without supporting them with evidence.
M Ahmad Kamal
Deputy Director Marketing & Communications, NUST, Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2018.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
