Import of medicines: Govt curtails powers of SAPM Zafar Mirza

• The decision has been taken after the prime minister took notice of the scam involving import of life saving drugs from India.
• Mirza has been accused of misuse of permission regarding import of medicines.
• Instead of importing only life-saving drugs from India, a large number of other medicines, which were also being manufactured in Pakistan at cheap rates, were imported.

(Karachi) The government has curtailed the powers of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, media reported on Tuesday.

According to details, the decision has been taken after the prime minister took notice of the scam involving import of life saving medicines from India. Mirza has been accused of misuse of permission regarding import of medicines.

PM Imran Khan had tasked Adviser to PM on Accountability Shahzad Akbar to probe the matter.

Following the change of status of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) last year by the Modi government, the federal cabinet had taken some drastic measures in August 2019 and imposed a ban on all kinds of trade with India besides closing all land routes with the neighboring country.

However, after one month in September 2019, the government allowed the import of life-saving drugs from India as the local industry managed to convince the government that import of some life-saving drugs from India will be cheaper than importing the same from other countries.

However, instead of importing only life-saving drugs from India, a large number of other medicines, which were also being manufactured in Pakistan at cheap rates, were imported from there.