Islamabad, Jan 24 (IANS): The findings of a study has showed that 93 per cent of Pakistanis agreed that the sale of cigarettes should be banned.

A Gallup and Gilani Pakistan survey reported that a nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across the country was asked the following question, "Do you think the sale of cigarettes should be banned?"

In response to this question, 93 percent replied yes while 7 per cent responded no, Xinhua news agency reported.

The rural-urban breakdown for the responses stated that 3 percent more people from urban areas stand for banning the sale of cigarettes, the report added.

An analysis of the provincial breakdown shows that the highest percentage of people who opt for a ban on cigarette sale belongs to the country's eastern Punjab and southern Sindh provinces as 94 percent of people from both parts said yes.

Meanwhile 93 per cent from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presented the same reply.

The southwestern Balochistan province recorded the lowest per cent among the provinces as 87 per cent said that the sale of cigarettes should be banned, according to the survey.