The Punjab government has issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for establishing a drug regulatory authority (DRA) – removing the last hurdle in the way of establishing the authority.
All provinces, except the Punjab, had issued NOCs, making it impossible for the centre to go ahead with the establishment of a federal drug authority.
Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan, who is heading a special committee for the establishment of a DRA, said on Wednesday that he would conduct a meeting to assess the NOC issued by the Punjab government.
The establishment of DRA would be finalised after discussions with the committee members.
Meanwhile, the federal government on Tuesday issued a notification for handing over Lahore’s Sheikh Zayed Hospital to the Punjab government.
K-P cabinet calls for resolution
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) cabinet on Tuesday decided to summon a meeting of the provincial assembly to table a resolution demanding the federal government to set up a drug regulatory authority in the country.
Earlier the cabinet’s 44th meeting was held with K-P Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti in the chair.
In light of the recent Supreme Court direction to set up a drug regulatory authority, the provincial cabinet has decided to table a resolution in the provincial assembly, K-P Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told reporters at a post-cabinet media briefing.
The resolution would ask the federal government to sanction laws regarding medicines-related issues and set up a drug regulatory authority at a federal level, he added.
A meeting of the provincial assembly will be summoned on February 15 (today) in a bid to table the resolution before the house, the minister said.
As far as ensuring drug quality, price determination and import and export were concerned, it was necessary for the federation to step in, Hussain said.
However, he added that the provincial assembly has the authority to implement such a mechanism at the provincial level, and provinces could legislate on this issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2012.
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