Two pharmacies operating without licences sealed in Liaquatabad

A team of the Drugs Control Administration led by the Sindh chief drug inspector on Friday sealed two medical stores in the city that were operating without licence.

The illegal medical stores were operating in Liaquatabad B Area and were also allegedly selling unregistered drugs. “Today we raided two medical stores in Liaquatabad B Area, which were operating without any licence, and sealed them. Owners of both the medical stores were selling unregistered and suspicious drugs”, said Sindh Chief Drug Inspector Syed Adnan Rizvi.

Hundreds of medical stores are operating without valid licences in different areas of Karachi, officials say, adding that a majority of these stores were established in those areas where authorities could not operate in the past due to law and order situation.

Many of the illegal medical stores are located in slums and Katchi Abadis of the city, which sell unregistered and smuggled drugs, and keep drugs in conditions which are not suitable for maintaining their efficacy.

“We had a tip-off that two medical stores are functioning in violation of all the rules and regulations and on Friday we raided them. Owner of one of the medical store, ZR Medical Store, fled when he saw our team, leaving the store open,” the chief drug inspector said, adding that the store was sealed by the raiding team.

According to Rizvi, the said store was possibly the biggest den of unregistered and illegal drugs in the area. He claimed that when the record was checked, it was found that the owner had not obtained the required licence from the authorities and the owner was also an illiterate person with no knowledge of pharmacy.

The same team later raided another pharmacy, Tahir Medical Store, in the same area and sealed it after finding illegal, spurious and sexual medicines, which are banned in the country. “Licence of this medical store [Tahir Medical Store] was issued to a person who had died many years back and even that licence expired in 2005,” Rizvi maintained. Cases were also registered against the owners of both the illegal pharmacies.