KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the federal government on Wednesday to fix the price of a Covid-19 vaccine imported by the private sector in a week.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito disposed of an appeal moved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) that challenged a single-bench’s March 18 verdict.
On March 18, the single bench had suspended the drug regulatory authority’s notification with regard to the withdrawal of exemption in Covid-19 vaccines import to a private pharma company.
The firm’s lawyer stated before the court that Drap allowed the import of vaccine under certain conditions on February 2, following which the pharma company imported one million doses of Russia’s Sputnik-V vaccine.
He lamented that the firm was not being allowed to sell the vaccine.
“We have already invested $45 million and imported the vaccine. What should we do now?” he asked.
A Drap counsel requested the court not to allow the sale of the vaccine until its price was fixed.
He said the firm couldn’t be allowed to fix the vaccine price as the authority to do so rested with the government.
He said the company wanted to sell the vaccine at desired prices.
The counsel for the firm demanded that the government allowed it to re-export the vaccine if it was not being allowed to sell it.
“Tell us whether you want the vaccine or not?” the bench asked the Drap counsel.
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