SHC issues many stay orders, observes SC

Drugs prices case

ISLAMABAD: While giving observation during hearing of fixing of prices of life saving drugs case, the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday said that the Sindh High Court (SHC) issued many stay orders which continued for several years and this was a matter of concern for the Supreme Court. 

The apex court, while issuing notices to all parties on the petitions filed on behalf of the federal government and pharmaceutical companies, declared that it was the matter of fixing prices of life saving drugs, therefore, this case would be heard on daily basis.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar headed the three-member bench comprising Justice Maqbool Baqir and Justice Faisal Arab held hearing the appeals filed against the judgement of the Sindh High Court.

During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Sajid Iliyas Bhatti adopted the stance that the federal government had fixed prices of medicines under the Drug Regulatory Authority Act 2012 and fixed Rs5,068 of medicine of Hepatitis.

 He told the court that some companies approached SHC which turned down their petitions and ordered with a direction to fix prices of drugs by keeping in view Section 58 of Drug Regulatory Authority Act 2012, however, the prices could not be fixed under this section.

He appealed to the court to remove this direction as this issue related to the manufacturing of medicines in the country. The court after hearing preliminary arguments of the parties adjourned the hearing till April 12.