The DRAP has shown grave concern over spurious drug manufacturer Noor Muhammad Mahar who is nominated accused in more than 155 FIR's for manufacturing and sale of spurious, unregistered & substandard medicines is still out of grip of law enforcement agencies and operating freely in the society to malign the officers of DRAP in print and social media.
The DRAP has exposed the corruption and corrupt practices of all owners of Everest Pharma (Spurious drug manufacturer) including Noor Muhammad Mahar through the assistance of prestigious government institutions of the country i.e. Honorable supreme court of Pakistan, FIA and NAB, said a press release issued here on Monday.
In the beginning of 2018, the DRAP received a complaint that a pharmaceutical company M/s. Everest Pharmaceuticals Islamabad was involved in manufacturing of spurious, un-registered medicines and substandard medicines. Noor Muhammad Mahar is one of the owners of the firm. DRAP tried to take immediate action against the firm but the powerful gang of owners of Everest Pharma pressurized the officers of DRAP through various tactics including lodging various applications in police stations. Noor Muhammad Mahar under the garb of Pakistan drug lawyers' forum and young pharmacists association started a malicious campaign on print, electronic and social against the officers of DRAP. Due to their blackmailing officers of the DRAP were de motivated and no Law enforcement agency was cooperating with DRAP to take action against Everest Pharma before February 2018. DRAP has already admitted that the bunch of criminals is so powerful that it has to request the Supreme Court of Pakistan to direct the Law Enforcement Agencies to cooperate with DRAP to take action against Everest Pharma.
The apex court while hearing Human Rights Application filed by DRAP directed the DRAP and Law enforcement agencies to immediately take action against Everest Pharma. On the direction of Supreme Court of Pakistan a team of DRAP officers along with FIA and NAB Teams inspected the Everest Pharmaceuticals and reported that firm is involved in manufacturing of unregistered, spurious and sex medicines. Gross violations of the Good manufacturing practices were also observed. The firm was using smuggled raw material and has no import record or DRAP's permission for import of raw materials. The firm was manufacturing drugs in unhygienic conditions violating the conditions of license. Ironically firm was manufacturing unregistered drugs to supply to the Punjab and Sindh Governments.
Keeping in view the above facts and public health at large, Licensing Board decided to cancel the manufacturing license No. 000535 of M/s. Everest Pharmaceuticals Islamabad. Moreover, FIR was lodged against the owners of firm Muhammad Usman, Dr Kamran Izhaar and Noor Muhammad Mahar who were found involved in the business of spurious and unregistered medicines. Two culprits Muhammad Usman, Dr Kamran Izhaar are behind the bars while the third Noor Muhammad Mahar is still absconder.
The Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan on 13.03.2018 directed the DRAP to make a road map for eradication of spurious and un-registered drugs. In compliance to the orders of highest court DRAP Constituted a National Task Force for eradication of spurious & un-registered drugs with effect from 19.03.2018 throughout Pakistan. The campaign was launched initially for one month, but later on it is continue on the direction of Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan. As part of National Task Force campaign, permissions for lodging of 155 FIRs were granted against M/s Everest Pharmaceuticals. Out of which 60 FIRs have been lodged 95 are in process. 128 cases of illegally imported Pharmaceutical Raw Materials with fake endorsement of DRAP have been forwarded to NAB, FIA and Collectorate of Customs Appraisement for cognizance under the law.
Since few years, Noor Mahar and allies who were involved in illicit business of manufacturing of spurious, unregistered and substandard drugs is trying to defame the officers of DRAP who took stand to stop their illegal activities and refused to bow to their pressure for compromise. This group was running a malicious campaign against Dr. Sheikh Akhter Hussain, quoting two NAB references declaring him deceased.
In fact, NAB has cleared the officer in that case where he was wrongly arrayed as deceased person. In this regard, the NAB has submitted a detailed report in the Islamabad High Court maintaining that the petitioner is trying to mislead the Honorable Court and all adverse allegations leveled against the officer are false, baseless and without any evidence. The Islamabad High Court has cleared, with reference to stance of NAB in petition no. 3385/2017 and the case has been disposed of.-PR