ISLAMAABD: As the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has initiated probe in deregulation of drug prices, NEWSMAN has unearthed hidden facts of the case. These facts suggested that it was 2016 when the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) was in power and Nawaz Sharif was the prime minster. Then Health minister, Sara Afzal Tarar, summoned to the Director General Drug Regulatory Authority (DRAP), Aslam Afghani, and asked him to propose her ministry the deregulation of the lifesaving drugs.
Aslam Afghani, who himself had bad reputation immediately smelled the intention of the minister and got ready to propose to the Health ministry her desired proposal. In the follow-up, DRAP submitted the proposal and then It took a few weeks to Sara Afzal Tarar, who as a federal minister of Health was known to every Tom and Jerry in Nawaz Sharif’s government for her unbridled lust for ill-gotton money, to prepare the case for seeking approval of deregulation of lifesaving drugs.
Sara Afzal Tarar’s level of interest in the case could be gauged from one follow-up event that she scolded a senior DRAP official in her office in the presence of then Health secretary for opposing the proposal moved to serve the purpose of the drug industry for some vested interest.
Despite resistance by the honest officers of DRAP, Sara Afzal Tarar in collusion with Aslam Afghani managed to move the summary to the federal cabinet for its approval for deregulation of lifesaving drugs. The PMLN’s lady Health minister had struck hard to give undue favour to the drug industry at the cost of the public interest.
Mrs Tarar’s open efforts for moving the proposal and then secnuring its approval by the federal cabinet is a classic example of misuse of political office to make ill-gotton money.
How dereguattion of drug prices worked for drug industry it could be assessed from one reference. A pack of 30 tablets of Surbex Z which was available in the market in regulated regime for only Rs 125 shot- up to Rs 7000 overnight. The loser in this dirty game were none but the patients and their families. FIA Lahore office has summoned concerned DRAP officials for investigation in the case on January 13 (Today).
Mrs Tarar had also done many other acts as Health minister which were dubious and seemingly done allegedly to make money. She attended more than one Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) now Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) meetings unlawfully for supervising the proceedings to grant undue concessions to her desired private sector’s medical colleges. “I can quote many cases wherein Mrs Tarar personally forced PMDC’s council to grant undue favour to more than one private medical colleges”, a senior PMC official told NEWSMAN requesting anonymity. He added “Entire PMDC doubted Mrs Tarar’s credibility and honestly, but since she was a powerful federal minister PMDC could not resist her illegal orders to grant undue favour to her desired medical colleges.
