Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned hearing of a case pertaining to price increase by a private pharmaceutical company till Monday.
A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan heard the case.
During the course of proceedings, the Chief Justice remarked that there was a huge mafia of pharmaceuticals in Pakistan.
He asked had the federal cabinet made any decision regarding the prices of medicines?.
The Additional Attorney General said that the matter was referred to the task force, not the cabinet.
Justice Ijaz said it seemed the task force was using delaying tactics on the issue instead of making a decision. The Chief Justice asked what was the Drug Regulatory Authority doing? He said both pharmaceutical companies and buyers were in a state of uncertainty.
He said pharmaceutical companies send abroad all profits in the name of buying raw materials.
He said the government did not decide on its own and challenges the decisions of the high court.
The Additional Attorney General said that a private company disappeared Buscopan tablets from the market. He said if the price of the medicine was not met, it disappeared from the market. Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan said if DRAP did not decide in time, the price automatically went up after the stipulated period.
The Additional Attorney General said that the private company increased the price of eight medicines.
