ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has tasked Adviser on Interior Affairs Barrister Shahzad Akbar to probe into the misuse of permission regarding the import of life-saving drugs from India.
Following the change of status of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) last year by the Modi government, the federal cabinet had taken some drastic measures in August 2019 and imposed a ban on all kinds of trade with India besides closing all land routes with the neighboring country.
However, after one month in September 2019, the government allowed the import of life-saving drugs from India as the local industry managed to convince the government that import of some life-saving drugs from India will be cheaper than importing the same from other countries. However, instead of importing only life-saving drugs from India, a large number of other medicines, which were also being manufactured in Pakistan at cheap rates, were imported from there.
According to sources, the Health Ministry had presented a report in this regard and PM Imran, while presiding the cabinet meeting on May 5, ordered an inquiry into the matter. They added that the Akbar-led inquiry team is expected to submit its findings in the next federal cabinet meeting.
Sources said that the federal cabinet, on finding complaints regarding import of these drugs, had ordered Health Ministry and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) on March 3 to provide a list of drugs which had been imported by manufacturers/importers from India. They said that on May 5, the Health Ministry had presented a list before the federal cabinet and informed that 429 drugs had been imported from India including medicines/tablets of headache and some vitamin including vitamins B1, B2 B6 & D, etc. They said that after a heated discussion among cabinet members over the matter, the PM, who was annoyed by the violation of the cabinet’s order, had ordered an inquiry into the matter.
According to a copy of the report presented by Health Ministry to the government, manufacturers and importers had imported 429 active pharmaceutical ingredients, 12 different kinds of vaccines and 59 medicines from India.
It is pertinent to mention here that the government has so far not allowed importing medicines of polio disease, dengue spray and some chemicals.
What an irony & unfortunate that medicines r purchased from India? Astagh-fru- Allah. Those who r responsible must be removed from service and punished severly under Article 6. They r the traitors & enemy of Pakistan.
Say that when god-forbid one of your family member is critically ill.
so pakistan is exporting terrorism to india while india is giving medicines to pakistan , irony