Banned: Tyno no more – for now

‘Why is the federal govt silent on this issue?’


Our Correspondent January 01, 2013
The court banned the manufacturing and sale of the syrup and sought replies from the respondent by January 16. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE

LAHORE:


The Lahore High Court on Tuesday imposed a temporary ban on the manufacture and sale of Tyno cough syrup and sought replies from the federal and Punjab governments by January 16.


Justice Sheikh Najamul Hassan issued the order on a miscellaneous application moved by the Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) seeking a ban on the sale of the cough syrup.

The judge asked the deputy attorney general why the federal government was quiet on the issue of the suspect cough syrup? A law officer, representing the federal government, replied that after the promulgation of the 18th constitutional amendment powers had been delegated to the provincial governments regarding issues of healthcare and spurious drugs.

The judge said it was still the federal government’s responsibility to stop the manufacture and sale of spurious drugs under Article 37(G) of the Constitution. He added that no one would be allowed to play havoc with innocent lives.

On Tuesday no Health Department representative appeared before the court. Nor did the department submit a reply.

The court banned the manufacturing and sale of the syrup and sought replies from the respondent by January 16.

JAP chairman, lawyer Muhammad Azhar Siddique, said 33 people had died because of the syrup in Gujranwala and Kamoke.

He said it was unclear whether those who died overdosed on the syrup or whether regular doses had led to their demise. Siddique said that if sale of the medicine was not stopped it would lead to more deaths. He requested a complete ban on the sale of the syrup. The lawyer also requested that physicians be restrained from prescribing the medicine.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2013.

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