The notification permitting the pharma companies to fix the prices of non-essential medicines was challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday. In the petition filed by a citizen Muhammad Aslam in LHC, the federal government and other stakeholders have been made respondent. The petitioner moved the court after caretaker government through a notification permitted the pharmaceutical companies due to which a large scale increase in prices of medicines was feared. The petition further stated that the government was removing the section of fixing the prices of medicines from the drug act. It said that the caretaker government doesn’t have power to make the said decision rather the upcoming democratic government can make decisions in this connection. The petitioner pleaded the court that the said notification was against the constitution and law, therefore, the court should order suspension of the notification till the final decision of the petition.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)