SHC questions progress on law

Court directs provinical law officer to file report on progress made in getting a proposed law approved by assembly.

KARACHI:

Nine months after the Sindh High Court ordered the government to act against quacks, it has now directed the provincial law officer to file a report on the progress made in getting a proposed law approved by the assembly.

The petitioner, Rana Faizul Hasan, had gone to the court seeking action against around 600,000 quacks across the country, citing a report issued by the Pakistan Medical Association. “Of the 70,000 quacks in Sindh, 40,000 are operating in Karachi alone despite Supreme Court orders against quacks and Hakims in 2009.

The then city government had published notices in newspapers through which unqualified medical practitioners were ordered to stop practicing or face a crackdown. “[But still], the city’s walls are dotted with graffiti offering various medicinal treatments for different ailments,” he added.On Tuesday, provincial law officer Miran Muhammad Shah informed the government had already drafted a bill against illegal medical practitioners but requested more time to place the bill in court.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2012.