The Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH), alongside key healthcare coalition partners, has escalated its nationwide campaign demanding mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPWL) on ultra-processed products (UPPs). During a high-level summit in Islamabad, PANAH announced the formation of the PANAH Lawyers Forum to mobilize legal expertise, enforce consumer rights, and accelerate regulatory reforms to curb the country's rising non-communicable disease (NCD) epidemic.
Key Coalition Demands and Statistics
Primary Policy Goal: Enact mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPWL) for high sugar, salt, and fat products
Key Regulatory Target: Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA)
National NCD Mortality Rate: Non-communicable diseases account for nearly 60% of total deaths in Pakistan
Diabetes Burden: Over 35 million Pakistanis currently live with diabetes
Coalition Members Present: PANAH, Pakistan Kidney Patients Association, HeartFiles, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), and Pakistan Association of Family Physicians
Severe Health Crisis Driven by Unhealthy Food Environments
Addressing the summit, President of PANAH Maj. Gen. (r) Masud Ur Rehman Kiani highlighted that diet-related illnesses, including cardiovascular conditions and obesity, are straining national healthcare infrastructure. He emphasized that citizens possess an inherent legal right to transparent nutritional information regarding processed consumables.
Reinforcing this demand, PANAH General Secretary Sana Ullah Ghumman noted that clear warning labels empower consumers to make healthier lifestyle choices. He called on regulatory bodies, particularly the PSQCA, to resist commercial lobbying and urgently enact mandatory packaging rules.
Legal Community Rallies Behind Consumer Protection Rights
The newly established PANAH Lawyers Forum pledged full legal assistance to draft, enforce, and defend public health regulations against potential corporate litigation.
"Access to accurate food information is a fundamental consumer right and a matter of urgent public interest," declared Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court Akhlaq Awan. "The legal community stands firmly with PANAH. We will extend our institutional support to overcome any legal hurdles delaying mandatory warning labels on ultra-processed items."
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