Key Points
- Pakistan’s nicotine pouch market is growing rapidly, reshaping traditional tobacco consumption patterns.
- PMI’s subsidiary PMPKL is set to begin local production of ZYN in Sahiwal in 2025.
- Studies indicate that several carcinogenic substances in nicotine pouches are significantly lower than in traditional smokeless tobacco.
- Local manufacturing is expected to strengthen regulation, curb illicit products, and reduce public health costs.
2Firsts, December 5, 2025 — According to Dhaka Tribune, Pakistan’s smokeless, tobacco-free nicotine pouch market has been expanding rapidly, transforming the country’s traditional tobacco consumption landscape.
Since 2019, modern smokeless nicotine products have grown quickly in the local market, with Velo—introduced by BAT-owned Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC)—taking the lead. Major tobacco companies have since moved to localize production, including Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited (PMPKL), the local subsidiary of Philip Morris International (PMI). In November 2025, PMPKL is scheduled to begin producing ZYN at its facility in Sahiwal, Punjab Province, marking Pakistan’s transition from being primarily a consumption market to a market with domestic manufacturing and integrated supply chains.
The report notes that local production can reduce reliance on imports while enabling taxation through formal channels, improving age verification and product quality oversight, and helping combat smuggling and illicit trade—ultimately lowering public health and social costs. At the same time, government and public health authorities are urged to establish robust regulatory frameworks to balance harm-reduction potential with the need to prevent youth access and misuse of emerging nicotine products.
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