Fake medicines: LHC displeased over non-completion of probe

LAHORE: Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday expressed displeasure over non-completion of an inquiry ordered into the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) medicine purchase scam.

The judge adjourned further hearing till June 15 with directions to an assistant advocate general and the health secretary to provide the petitioner, Fareeha Majeed, a pharmacist at the PIC, access to documents presented before an inquiry committee that recommended her sacking.

Appearing on her behalf in her contempt of court petition against the Health Secretary and PIC chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan, Advocate Sheraz Zaka said that Fareeha Majeed had not been provided a fair chance to present her version nor given access to the documents available to the inquiry committee.

The court directed the assistant advocate general and the health secretary that she be allowed to submit more documents in her defence.

Fareeha Majeed had filed the contempt of court petition, stating that the PIC authorities had not asked for her input in the inquiry despite the fact that she brought the scam to light. “Instead, the disclosure had resulted in my sacking,” she said.

She stated that the inquiry conducted by the health secretary was not impartial. “The court had ordered an inquiry on a petition filed by Provincial Assembly leader of the opposition Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed. The petitioner had requested the secretary to let her join the inquiry proceedings as she had evidence against the medical superintendent and the contractor supplying the medicine.

The counsel said the petitioner was disallowed to join the inquiry owing to the influence exerted by PIC chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan and Medical Superintendent Sohail Saqlain.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2016.