Verdict Reserved: Petition against CM’s task force heard

LAHORE: Justice Mamoonur Rasheed of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday reserved verdict on a petition filed against raids of the chief minister’s task force on pharmaceutical production units. Counsel for the petitioners Khwaja Tariq Raheem told the court the task force had been exceeding its jurisdiction. Raheem said the task force had been illegally raiding production units. He said this had been wrecking havoc on business in the sector. He said the policies of the provincial government had brought the pharmaceutical industry on the brink of destruction and left workers fearing for their livelihoods. Raheem asked the court to direct the task force to desist from conducting raids at production units and from filing cases against those affiliated with the industry. A government law official told the court no cases had been registered against those employed at the production units. He said only show-cause notices had been issued to administrations of production units involved in manufacturing substandard medicines.  The court reserved its verdict following the conclusion of arguments.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2015.