NA finally passes drug regulatory bill

Authority will develop ethical criteria on drug promotion marketing advertising.

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly ON Tuesday passed a bill for establishment of a Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) of Pakistan.

The PML-N, however, accepted the government’s assurance of no malicious intention of appointing any dual national as DRA’s head.

As Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi took up the “Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan Bill 2012” for final reading, PML-N’s Zahid Hamid said the opposition would not press removal of the word “only” from clause-XIV of the bill if the government assured that the amendment was just meant to correct grammatical error.

The aforesaid clause states, “No person shall be appointed as the CEO or Director of the Authority unless he is a citizen of Pakistan only.”

The opposition members had the contention that the removal of word “only” would indicate the impression that the legislature wanted to accommodate the dual nationality holders to head the authority that would be mandated to deal with multinational pharmaceutical companies as well.

On this, Chief Whip Syed Khurshid Shah said Article 62 of the Constitution also contained the same expression and that neither the government wanted to adopt the amendment nor was doing so on anyone’s behest.

“What would happen to 10 million overseas Pakistanis if we put such restrictions? Dr Abdul Qadir Khan also held dual nationality when he gave nuclear power to the country.

However, Minister for National Regulations and Services Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan assured the House that the amendment was of grammatical nature and that it had nothing to do with the appointment of any dual national.

Minister for Law Farooq H Naek also said the Article 62 of the Constitution also stops at word “Pakistan” that deals with the qualification of prime minister and President.

According to the bill, the DRA would bring harmony in inter-provincial trade and commerce of drugs and therapeutic goods to regulate, manufacture, import, export, storage, distribution and sale of therapeutic goods and medical devices and drugs research.

The DRA would advise the  federal government on the issues relating to the obligations and commitments with international organisations related to therapeutic goods including drugs, medicine and medical advises.

Moreover, the Authority will also develop ethical criteria on drug promotion marketing advertising and rational use of drugs including research and development.

Later, the deputy speaker put forth the bill for passage that was adopted with majority voice vote.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2012.