LAHORE, Jan 23: Chemists on Wednesday observed a two-hour token strike in the city to protest against the Drug Rules 2007.

They also set up a protest camp at the main medicine market of the city, Lohari Gate, which was attended by representatives of chemist bodies across the province. Closure of medical stores especially outside the public hospitals in the city caused inconvenience to the people.

The chemists representatives said the government was paying no heed to their demands, which showed it was least concerned about their problems. Terming the new rules controversial, they said that they would go for a complete shutter down and hold demonstrations throughout the province if the rules were not withdrawn.

Punjab Chemists Council president Nisar Chaudhry said the provincial government had earlier promised to restore the drug rules of 1988 but it did not honour its commitment. The chemists, who are the main stakeholders, were deliberately kept off the process of formulating the new drug rules, which indicated that the interest of multinationals was protected.