June 07, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1428

LAHORE, June 6: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought reports from federal and provincial governments on a petition, seeking ban on sale and transplantation of human organs.

The petition also seeks action against culprits involved in the trade and a proper investigation into the case, which was registered by police against several doctors following a crackdown on the mafia.

The court sought report from the Federal Law Ministry, the Punjab health secretary and the home secretary about the progress on formulating the legislative proposal on human organs trade and transplant.

Justice Syed Shabbar Raza Rizvi asked the Lahore capital city police officer to inform about investigation into the case.

The court issued the order on a petition filed by lawyer Syed Ihtsham Qadir Shah.

He said newspapers had reported about a racket involved in the sale and transplant of human organs.

Four doctors — Dr Masood Nasir and Dr Muhammad Rafique Zaki of Masood Hospital, Dr Captain Umar Sharif and Dr Muhammad Shafique of Shafi Hospital — were arrested for dealing with kidney trade.

A case was registered against them with the Factory Area Police Station on the complaint of 10 people who were rescued from the detention of the kidney racket.

The petitioner said despite the publication of news regarding sale and transplant of organs in the press the government had failed to put in place a proper legal and administrative framework to check organ trade.

The petitioner said the registration of the criminal case had proved transplant trade was in vogue due to the negligent and inefficient role of law enforcement agencies.

To unearth the racket involved in kidney theft and its trade, law enforcement agencies should expose all the members of the mafia, including unscrupulous doctors and the five private hospitals pointed out in media reports.

Mr Shah said since the need of bona-fide recipients kidney transplant could not be overlooked, the situation required to give serious consideration by resorting to cadeveric kidney transplant by availing the organs of dying people either on the basis of will or with the permission of heirs as it was being done in the modern world.

The petitioner asked the court to issue appropriate directions to the respondents to take all possible measures to properly investigate the recently registered case.

The petitioner prayed the government be directed to inform the court about the progress on formulating the legislative proposal and also incorporate the guidelines of the court as well as the conclusions of public debate and useful suggestions of medical experts and other stakeholders.