Violating ban: Fresh raids in F-7 net 26 sheeshas

Of nine cafes raided, only four were open when raid parties got there; DC satisfied with efforts.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad administration on Friday evening continued raids at various cafes in the capital’s posh sectors for violating the ban on serving sheesha and confiscated 26 waterpipes and 70 boxes of flavoured tobacco.

This was the second time the administration has conducted such raids in the past three weeks. On October 17, the administration confiscated 75 waterpipes and fined the violating businesses Rs50,000 each in a series of raids.

This time, the administration targeted only nine cafes, four of which were found to be violating the ban, namely Chocolate Cafe in F-7 Markaz and Koolza Cafe in Sector F-7/1, along with Jungle Spot and Monkey Spot, which are both on the route to Daman-e-Koh.

Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Ali told The Express Tribune, “We raided nine cafes under anti-tobacco law where sheesha is still being served and action was taken against them.” He said that sheesha’s were only confiscated from four cafes because the other five were closed at the time of the raids. The closed cafes included Zefra Café, Civil Junction and Boiler’s Room, all in Sector F-7.

“This practice will continue till the elimination of the last sheesha cafe in the capital,” he added. He said Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amir Ali Ahmed had already constituted a team of four assistant commissioners to monitor their respective jurisdictions. On May 15, the interior ministry had issued a notification directing all restaurants to close down at 11pm, mainly to conserve energy and curb sheesha smoking in the city.

DC Ahmed was satisfied with the results of the raids and opined that this is the best way to discourage the practice, citing that in just three weeks over 100 sheeshas were confiscated in raids.

“Now the café owners are alert and a majority closed up before the raids, but plainclothes officials will keep an eye on places where sheesha is still being served,” he added.

According to the World Health Organisation, sheesha smoking is even more harmful than cigarettes, because a smoker inhales more smoke over a longer period of time from a waterpipe.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2012.