5 countries ban import of Pakistani drugs after PIC deaths, SC told

The Supreme Court directed the federal government to establish a drug regulatory authority within 10 days after it was informed on Monday that five countries had banned the import of Pakistani drugs after the deaths of over 135 cardiac patients in Lahore due to spurious medicine. A three-member bench of Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Mian Saqib Nisar directed the Punjab advocate general and representatives of the federal government to convey the court’s reservations over the matter to their respective governments.
The court directed that the copies of the decision about the establishment of drug regulatory authority be made available to all chief secretaries, who would provide these copies to their respective chief ministers. During the hearing, the court expressed dismay over the government’s failure to set up a dug regulatory authority, even after the devolution of health department to the provinces, calling it a serious matter. Justice Jillani noted that five countries had banned the import of Pakistani drugs, while the government was registering cases against the accused on media reports instead of inquiry findings.
The court expressed apprehensions and terminated proceedings when it was informed that Punjab Advocate General Ashtar Auaf Ali could not turn up as he was on the way to the court. The court however resumed proceedings after the advocate-general appeared. The bench expressed dissatisfaction over the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) report into the matter and told FIA’s Director (Legal) Muhammad Azam Khan that the report indicated as if the cases were registered against the accused on press reports, instead of proper investigation. Khan told the court that a joint investigation team of FIA officials and drug inspectors was constituted on the directions of the Interior Ministry and it was investigating the matter.
The report stated that investigation was initiated against three pharmaceutical manufacturers – Alpha Pharma, Pharmawise and Mega Pharma – and the samples of their drugs had been sent to Karachi Drug Testing Laboratory. He said according to the lab report, the drugs of Alpha Pharma were found spurious, besides its manufacturing licence had also expired.
Ashtar Ausaf Ali told the court that autopsy of three people, who died due to reaction to drugs, had been conducted to ascertain the causes. In this regard, he said action had been taken against Efroz Phrama, Karachi and those responsible had been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL). Later, the court adjourned proceedings until February 17.