'New law being formulated for quality control'

Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Nauraiz Shakoor has said that a new law is being formulated for quality control, which would be promulgated within next five months. Addressing the first International Congress on Preventive Cardiology held here under the aegis of the Pakistan Cardiac Society and the Punjab Medical College at Serena, he mentioned that under the forthcoming law, stamps of quality control would be declared compulsory for various marketable products including vegetable ghee. He emphasised the need for speed-up ISO-9000 certification so that enable Pakistani products to have direct access to the international markets.
Federal Minister has invited joint efforts of people and authorities to make success the awareness campaign launched against diseases and illiteracy in the country. He said that government was fully aware of its responsibilities and was taking necessary steps to provide the best possible facilities to the masses.
Nauraiz Shakoor said that Pakistanis were the most talented people and were serving international community.
He said that government was considering a proposal to bring them back to enhance the pace of development initiated by this government. He said that a special task force has been constituted to give them proper environment and incentives and in this connection, we would follow the Chinese model and experiences.
He also lauded the role of media in creating awareness among masses and stated that government has allowed 20-22 new television channels and hoped that it would play their positive role in educating and creating much needed awareness among the masses.
About smoking, he said that government has already prohibited smoking in PIA airline and government offices. It is now the duty of the society to play its role and force people to avoid smoking.
Continuing, Nauraiz Shakoor said the annually 250,000 children die of water borne diseases. He urged the doctors and journalists to support government in its endeavour to create awareness among the masses about the use of clean water.
World Heart Organisation President Dr Sheharyar, Saarc Cardiac Society Chairman Dr Mansoor Ali, Professor Mohammad Sarwar, A.G. Rahman, Abdul Hafeez Chaudhry, Naeem Aslam, Jawed Iqbal, Saadat Ali Zaidi, Professor Sharif Chaudhry, Dr Javed Iqbal, Dr Samina Badar and other cardiac specialists and physicians urged the government to ban the use of cigarettes at public places besides launching an awareness programme regarding precautionary measures about heart diseases. The heart specialists said the situation was deteriorating with every passing day due to increasing number of heart patients.
They said it was a stigma on the face of society that the publicity budget of cigarette companies was over and above the total budget of the World Health Organisation. They urged the people to adopt simple lifestyle to avoid cardiac problems.