Lahore: In a big development, Punjab Chief Drug Controller Office has expressed serious concern over rise in spurious drug manufacturing and orders to the concerned authorities to take strict action against those who were involved in manufacturing of illegal/spurious drugs and nutraceutical manufacturing units.
In an order dated July 1, 2021 issued by the Punjab Chief Drug Controller Office, Lahore expressed serious concern that a rise was witnessed in manufacturing and selling of spurious and unregistered drugs in the province and it urgently needed to checked to discourage this unlawful business.
An official document made available to NEWSMAN said the matter of manufacturing of spurious drugs came under discussion in a meeting held in Lahore and it was followed by issuance of a decision to take action against those who were playing with the human lives by manufacturing and selling of fake/ spurious drug in the province.
Deputy Drug Controller (DDC), Junaid Qureshi, has been appointed as a focal person to check the progress on the assignment and submit report to the higher authorities.
Speaking to NEWSMAN by phone, Chief Drug Controller Punjab, Azhar Saleemi, said the Punjab government of Chief Minister, Usman Buzdar give top priority to the lives of the people and hence it decided to go after the mafia which is involved in manufacturing and selling of spurious/ fake drugs in the province. He confirmed that his office has issued directions to the concerned authorities to check all drug manufacturing units currently operating in the province and take strict action against those which units were involved in any wrongdoings like manufacturing of spurious drugs.
He said “ In 2020-21, we checked around 139 drug manufacturing units and sealed around 40 of them for involving in illegal and spurious drugs and this year we will weed out this menace altogether”.