News
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Prescriptions must to buy medicines: Rehman Malik* Interior minister tells Senate names of those who sold spurious medicines put on ECL
By Ijaz Kakakhe
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday told the Senate that the government had directed medical stores to sell medicines only against prescriptions.
Responding to a point of order, the minister said the federal government was fully cooperating with the Punjab government following the deaths of about 132 cardiac patents due to spurious medicines.
The names of top officials from those drug-manufacturing companies, which were involved in the provision of substandard drugs, had been put on the Exit Control List (ECL).
“The FIA had registered an FIR against the companies accused of producing spurious medicines and arrested three persons. But they were set free on the directive of the Supreme Court,” he said.
This all happened due to absence of an effective Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA), he said, adding that the Punjab government had particularly opposed the authority. He said medical stores had been directed to ensure quality control of medicines.
The minister said the Punjab government had sent some medicines to the UK for an examination, adding that the provincial government should share the outcome of the assessment with public.
Petroleum and Natural Resources Minster Dr Asim Hussain said the issue should not be politicised as the pharmaceutical sector contributed $1.2 billion to the country’s export.
He said there was no Drug Regulatory Authority after the passage of the18th Amendment, adding that such a body should be set up early.
The interior minister also told the Senate that the law enforcement agencies were investigating the murder of wife and daughter of Balochistan MPA Mir Bakhtiar Domki. He said a “third party” might have committed the crime to disturb order.
Terming the killings a “very sensitive issue”, Rehman Malik said the incident could be exploited for political gains. He said a committee comprising two MPAs each from Balochistan and Sindh has been constituted to probe the matter.
Senator Professor Khurshid was critical of the statement made by US President Barack Obama that drone attacks would continue in the tribal areas. He also criticised the government, saying that he believed someone from its quarters had leaked parliamentary recommendations on national security to the US ambassador in Pakistan.
On a point of order, Senator Qari Abdullah asked the government to stand by Iran in the wake of Israel’s threat to its nuclear sites.
Senator Tahir Mashhadi said that the government was fleecing the public by increasing petroleum prices. He termed the recent hike a bhatta [extortion] for the poor people.
Senator Zahid Khan also endorsed Mashhadi’s point of view and asked the government to reverse petroleum prices to the previous position.
The first quarterly report for 2011-12 of the central board of directors of the State Bank of Pakistan was also presented in the House.
The House was informed that loans worth Rs 1.098 billion against 13,464 residents of four districts of Malakand Division have been written off by different banks.
Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh informed the House during the question hour that the loans had been written-off for the residents of terrorism-hit Malakand, Swat, Buner and Chitral districts. He said another summary to write off loans worth Rs 400 million was with the prime minister, adding that it would be approved in a couple of days. To a question, the minister said an amount of Rs 1,898.5 billion had been invested in the National Savings Schemes.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk