Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Co-ordination has expressed serious concerns over shifting of 28 multinational pharmaceutical companies to India, paying Rs 1.5 billion tax, as Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) is not functioning properly.
The committee also decided to call the Chief Secretaries of all provinces and secretaries of federal ministries of health, education and natural resources in the next meeting for discussing the issues between the provincial governments and federal government before referring them to the Council of Common Interest (CCI). The committee met with Senator Farah Aqil in the chair at Parliament on Thursday. Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Secretary Muhammad Ejaz Chaudhry, Senators Saleem Mandviwalla, Kalsoom Parveen, Haji Ghulam Ali and other participated in the meeting.
The members of the committee expressed serious concerns over the health issues including polio and measles (Khasra) faced by the people and said that the government should take solid measures to resolve them. But the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Co-ordination told the committee that it is primary responsibility of the provincial governments, as the Ministry of Health has been devolved to the provinces.
Senator Kalsoom Parveen said that it is alarming situation for us as 28 multinational pharmaceutical companies have shifted from Pakistan to India. She said that these companies were paying Rs 1.5 billion tax annually. She said that it is failure of Drug Regulatory Authority because it is not properly functioning. She said that the Authority was established at federal level after devolving health ministry to the provinces under 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Saleem Mandviwalla said that the ministry should call and write to provincial chief secretaries of Chief Ministers for discussing the issues between the provinces and federal government. Federal Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada said that his ministry could not call the chief minister or chief secretary because they do not attend our phone calls except Balochistan Chief Minister and Chief Secretary.
Secretary Ministry of Inter-Provincial Co-ordination, Muhammad Ejaz Chaudhry said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is very conscious of conducting national census as soon as possible but the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan are not ready for this. Haji Ghulam Ali showed a serious concern over the downfall of Squash game and said that Pakistan ruled the game for 20-years, but unfortunately it is facing downfall now - who is responsible for this. He said that the game has almost been destroyed. He claimed that the players are not selected on merit.
The minister said, "I am responsible for the time when I took charge of the ministry. I am accountable for the period; I will resign if you find any issue of corruption during my tenure." He said that after taking charge, he streamlined many things and brought them in written form.
Comments
Comments are closed.