Islamabad:
The Subcommittee of the Parliamentary Caucus of Women (WPC) demanded on Tuesday the prohibition of junk food and soft drinks in schools, citing the alarming classification of Pakistan as the world leader for diabetes.
The panel, chaired by Zahra Wadood Fatmi, said that women’s health was directly related to the well -being of entire families and emphasized the need for strict measures to curb sugar consumption.
Legislators described sugar as a “silent murderer” and warned about the health risks of canned and packaged foods, which were widely consumed despite their harmful effects.
Subcommittee members proposed to ban junk food, packaged food and soft drinks in homes and enforce stricter regulations in private school dining rooms, similar to existing restrictions in government schools.
They recommended seeking contributions from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) or the regulatory authority of Private Educational Institutions (Peira) to establish guidelines for the operations of the canteen in private schools.
