Pakistan No. 1 in smuggling, using banned drugs
Annually, English drugs worth Rs. 6 bn and Homeopathy drugs worth Rs. 2 bn are smuggled in Pakistan
LAHORE: (Daily Dunya) – Pakistan has topped the list of 257 countries for use and smuggling of banned drugs. Annually, English drugs worth Rs. 6 billion and Homeopathy drugs worth Rs. 2 billion are smuggled in Pakistan, reported Daily Dunya.
According to sources, 7 local and international courier companies are involved in this trade. Credible sources claim that Pakistanis top the list of 257 countries where banned drugs, made in United States, China, India, Holland, Dubai and others, are smuggled and used. Sources told Daily Dunya that despite ban on the selling of such drugs, 80% of the medical stores are still selling these drugs.
Daily Dunya sources told that 33 kinds of branded drugs are smuggled from these countries while at times, chemical is smuggled into Pakistan in raw form and they are then developed into tablets, capsules, injections and chewing gums in northern areas including Swat, Abbotabad and Landi Kotal.
Material in raw form is smuggled at the cost of Rs. 500,000 from Holland and Rs. 100,000 from India.
41 companies have given applications during the last 67 years in Pakistan to register these drugs. Pharmacist and legal expert of Pakistan Nutraceutical Association Noor Muhammad Mehr told Daily Dunya that the law of Herbal Nutraceutical and Homeopathy drugs’ registration had been passed on May 27, 2014 and now these drugs are prescribed for the cure of various diseases. He said that after the registration of the drugs, certified Hakims and doctors will be able to legally prescribe these drugs for the first time in Pakistan’s history.
Talking to Daily Dunya, Director Clinical Governance of Punjab Healthcare Commission Dr. Mushtaq said that prevention of these drugs is the responsibility of Drug Regulatory Authority after Commission Act 2012 due to which Punjab Healthcare Commission cannot act on it.
