October 10, 2007	Wednesday	Ramazan 27, 1428

DERA GHAZI KHAN, Oct 9: Government-owned expired medicines confiscated by the Civil Lines Police have been shifted to some undisclosed location with the alleged connivance of health department officials, Dawn has learnt.

The action is aimed at shelving the matter as the police have not registered a case against the officials for selling government medicines despite a complaint lodged by a citizen.

Dawn learnt Civil Lines Police Station seized expired medicines when an official was shifting the stock to a shop. Police took action on the application of Muhammad Hussain Azad.

Later, neither the Health Department nor police took note of the gravity of the incident as to sell official medicines is prohibited by the government.

Civil Lines police told Dawn the complainant had withdrawn the application and refused to persue the case.

But Mr Azad, the complainant, said police had refused to register a case against the Health Department officials for selling governmental medicines.

Health Executive District Officer (EDO) Pervaiz Haidar Altaf is already in the headlines for embezzling Rs38 million medicine budget of 2006-07.

The EDO (health) officer allegedly provided expired medicines to rural health centres and basic health units but when the matter was made public by newspapers, the authorities concerned shelved the expired stock.

The business of spurious drugs in Dera Ghazi Khan is not a new to the public.

Six years ago, Civil Lines police registered a case of provision of spurious drugs to the Health Department against the son of the health director. At that time police allegedly made the case technically weak and avoided any arrest.

Previous EDO (Health) Dr Faiz Ali Jaskani also hit the headlines for his alleged misappropriation and embezzlement in medicines.

The public believes that despite all evidences of malpractice in the Health Department, neither the district government nor the EDO (health) office will take any action against the people supplying official medicines to private medical stores.

District Health Officer Dr Sultan Asim Bughlani has been appointed an inquiry officer to probe into the supply of expired medicines to medical stores.

Members of the National Assembly Jafar Leghari and Ameena Jafar Leghari demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter. — Tariq Saeed Birmani