Islamabad: Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar has said government has taken various steps to ensure transparency in the pharmaceutical sector.
Responding to a calling attention notice, moved by Karim Ahmed Khawaja on Wednesday regarding report of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the governance in the public pharmaceutical sector, she said that Pakistan itself had requested the World Health Organization to evaluate gaps in its pharma sector.
She said WHO report has also acknowledged Pakistan’s steps towards improving its management structure for medicines. She said that the establishment of Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan is a progressive step and backed and supported by the professional and political leadership. She said the agency is enduring transparency of medicines, governance and to decrease the vulnerability of the system to corruption. She said that DRAP is likely to qualify for WHO recognition in next two years.
Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani today announced functioning of Late Iftikhar Muhammad Trust. He said that trustees have approved by-laws of the body and from today onward the trust has become fully functional. He urged Senators to contribute in the trust for which a bank account has been opened. He also announced that Nuzhat Sadiq is the first one to deposit a contribution in the trust. Iftikhar Muhammad (late) was the director of staff in the office of Deputy Chairman Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri who embraced martyrdom in a terrorist attack this year.
