Substandard food and packing material are playing havoc with the public health and all of this is happening right under the nose of the government officials.
The candid observations were made in a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Tuesday. The press conference was called by The Helpline Trust to inform public about hazards of substandard foods and packaging material.
Hamid Maker requested the media to highlight the danger that was dangling on the consumers' heads by unethical and inhuman practices of self-centred manufacturers. He pointed out it could be checked adequately if the concerned officials rediscovered some human touch and did what they were supposed to do.
Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) General Secretary Dr Qaisar Sajjad expressed his horror and disgust about the proliferation of spurious drugs that took human life instead of curing it.
He said the PMA was aware of nefarious activities of fake pharmaceutical companies but powerless to do any thing. He further said the PMA was pointing its fingers towards the culprits and it was now the duty of authorities concerned to punish them.
Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association Executive member Captain Tariq Subhan (Retd) was highly critical of concerned authorities that were allowing uncontrolled sale of spurious vanaspati that was injurious to the health of consumers.
He thought that loopholes in law prevented judicial system to arrest and punish the offenders. He cited a case in which a court let off the adulterators because the show cause notice was not issued properly.