Transnational tobacco companies have had a presence in Pakistan for over 50 years. British American Tobacco (BAT) established Pakistan Tobacco Co. (PTC) in 1947, making it one of the first foreign companies in the newly established country (1); PTC “inherited the business previously conducted by Imperial Tobacco Co., Tobacco Manufacturers India and ILTD [Indian Leaf Tobacco Development]” (1). Philip Morris (PM) entered the Pakistani market in August 1967, obtaining interests in Premier Tobacco Industries Ltd (PTI) through its purchase of the British holding company Godfrey Phillips Ltd (2).

English