Crackdown efforts fail to curb gutka use in Sindh

Karachi is facing a growing public health and law enforcement crisis as the illegal trade and widespread use of gutka continue largely unchecked. Despite strict laws and periodic crackdowns, weak investigations and low conviction rates have allowed most dealers to evade punishment.

Sindh High Court Justice Adnanul Karim, while commenting on the bail application of a gutka dealer, Muhammad Tahir, who was arrested in Karachi, stated that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the rate of oral cancer among men in Pakistan is the highest in South Asia. The overall rate in the country is around 4 per cent, while in Karachi it reaches up to 30 per cent due to the use of gutka. He added that every fifth person in Karachi is addicted to gutka, mainpuri, and mawa.

Muhammad Tahir was arrested in 2021 by the Sharafi Goth police. According to the police, a large quantity of gutka and materials used to make mawa were recovered from his house, including a mawa packing machine, a mawa mixing machine, 100 kilograms of wet betel nut, 6,600 grams of tobacco, 20 kilograms of lime, 64 kilograms of china powder, 26 kilograms of chemicals, and 15,500 grams of prepared mawa.

Although Muhammad Tahir’s bail application was rejected, many individuals involved in the gutka business often escape punishment. Legal experts say that only about 5 per cent of arrested suspects are convicted by courts. The reasons include poor police investigations and weak prosecution. According to Sindh Police data, 10,194 gutka-related cases were registered in 2019, of which 5,500 are still pending. Similarly, by the end of 2025, 145 gutka dealers had been arrested, but none have yet been convicted.

The Government of Sindh passed the “Sindh Prohibition of Preparation, Manufacturing, Storage, Sale and Use of Gutka and Mainpuri Act, 2019” to curb the business and use of gutka. Initially, session courts had the authority to hear such cases, but later amendments transferred jurisdiction to judicial magistrates to ensure quicker disposal. Despite this, the rate of convictions has not improved, and the law has yet to produce the desired results.

Under this law, those involved in the preparation and sale of gutka, mawa, and mainpuri can be sentenced to one to three years in prison along with fines. The equipment and premises used for these activities can also be sealed and confiscated.

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Besides Karachi, the gutka and mawa business continues in other districts of Sindh, particularly Hyderabad, Thatta, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, and Sanghar. Zahid Farooq, an urban planning expert associated with the Urban Resource Centre, told the Express Tribune that this has become a social issue. "In Karachi, not only men but also women and children use gutka. I personally know several people who developed oral cancer due to gutka use. The police either do not take action against those involved in the gutka trade, or if they do, the suspects are released by courts," said Farooq.

Prominent criminal lawyer Shaukat Hayat said that due to poor investigations, many accused are acquitted. Speaking to Express Tribune, he noted that cases presented by the police often contain legal loopholes, making them difficult to prove in court. He emphasized the need to improve police investigations.

According to a Sindh Police spokesperson, a recent meeting chaired by IG Sindh Javed Alam Odho decided to further accelerate and strengthen actions against those selling gutka and mawa. The IG directed officers to ensure concrete and effective measures under a coordinated anti-narcotics strategy, noting that complaints related to drugs negatively impact police performance.