PIC deaths: SHO told to ensure accused show up for hearings
Court issues warrants for two defendants, 10 already declared proclaimed offenders.
A trial judge has directed Shadman police to ensure that two defendants, being tried in connection with the deaths of 213 people due to tainted drugs, turn up for the next hearing, having missed the last three.
LAHORE:
A trial judge has directed Shadman police to ensure that two defendants, being tried in connection with the deaths of 213 people due to tainted drugs handed out at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology almost two years ago, turn up for the next hearing, having missed the last three.
The court, at the latest hearing of the case on Saturday, also received an application from two defendants – Tariq Rehman and Musharraf Rehman – seeking exemption from personal attendance due to a death in the family. They had missed the last two hearings.
The judge issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Shakeel Naga and bailable arrest warrants for Zulfiqar Ahmed, directing the Shadman police station house officer (SHO) to produce them in court at the next hearing of the case on September 6.
According to a police investigation and an inquiry conducted by a Lahore High Court judge, the deaths of 213 cardiac patients between December 2011 and February 2012 were a result of a tainted batch of the drug Isotab, manufactured by Efroze Chemicals.
The court had earlier declared 10 of the 19 defendants to be proclaimed offenders. They are Abdullah Feroze (owner of Efroze), Khurram Munaf, Syed Tabish, Iftikhar Ahmad, Muhammad Ishaq, Muhammad Aqil, Syed Raza Haidri, Muhammad Shoaib Ansari, Muhammad Rizwan and Muhammad Fayyaz.
The remaining accused in the case Dr Sheikh Waris Gaba, Dr Muhammad Ameer, Dr Nasir Mehmood, Muhammad Yousaf and Nadir Khan Feroze – have been attending hearings.
The defendants are being tried for murder, criminal negligence leading to death, fraud and forgery.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2013.
A trial judge has directed Shadman police to ensure that two defendants, being tried in connection with the deaths of 213 people due to tainted drugs handed out at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology almost two years ago, turn up for the next hearing, having missed the last three.
The court, at the latest hearing of the case on Saturday, also received an application from two defendants – Tariq Rehman and Musharraf Rehman – seeking exemption from personal attendance due to a death in the family. They had missed the last two hearings.
The judge issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Shakeel Naga and bailable arrest warrants for Zulfiqar Ahmed, directing the Shadman police station house officer (SHO) to produce them in court at the next hearing of the case on September 6.
According to a police investigation and an inquiry conducted by a Lahore High Court judge, the deaths of 213 cardiac patients between December 2011 and February 2012 were a result of a tainted batch of the drug Isotab, manufactured by Efroze Chemicals.
The court had earlier declared 10 of the 19 defendants to be proclaimed offenders. They are Abdullah Feroze (owner of Efroze), Khurram Munaf, Syed Tabish, Iftikhar Ahmad, Muhammad Ishaq, Muhammad Aqil, Syed Raza Haidri, Muhammad Shoaib Ansari, Muhammad Rizwan and Muhammad Fayyaz.
The remaining accused in the case Dr Sheikh Waris Gaba, Dr Muhammad Ameer, Dr Nasir Mehmood, Muhammad Yousaf and Nadir Khan Feroze – have been attending hearings.
The defendants are being tried for murder, criminal negligence leading to death, fraud and forgery.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2013.