Confusing data

This refers to the news item ‘Decline in cigarette sale costs kitty Rs1.04 bn monthly’ (Oct 18). The question is: have the people in this country suddenly stopped smoking? Or has the smuggling of foreign brand of cigarettes abruptly increased and is not in the knowledge of the authorities?

From the face of it, it appears that there is likelihood of misreporting of data as such a swift variation in trend is not possible. The chairman of the FBR must come out with a clarification.

Kulsoom Arif

Karachi