Pakistan bans carrying of naswar on flights

The Pakistan aviation authorities on Monday banned carrying of naswar, a powered tobacco snuff, in all domestic and international flights. The act has been deemed a punishable offence by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The move came after almost all Middle East countries banned naswar by including it in the list of narcotics. According to a notification by the CAA, carrying naswar is an offence and action will be taken if the substance is found in the luggage of the travellers.

All the airports across the country have been alerted about the ban on carrying naswar. Naswar is very popular in the northwestern areas of Pakistan where it is widely used by both males and females.

The market of naswar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is estimated at around Rs 6 billion annually.