LAHORE: Pharmacists have appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the ‘illegal confinement’ of their more than 150 colleagues in Quetta and order the Balochistan authorities to release them immediately.

The appeal was made by scores of pharmacists who staged a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club on Thursday against thrashing of their colleagues by the police for taking out a peaceful rally to press the government for their ‘just’ demands.

Senior pharmacist and drug law expert, Dr Noor Mahar, informed the protesters that their brethren in Quetta were demanding promotion of pharmacy profession in the province in particular and other parts of the country in general.

Dr Mahar said pharmacists have a vital role in the healthcare system. There should be one pharmacist on every 50 beds in a hospital to improve the patient health.

“Responsibilities of pharmacists vary from dispensing medicines to monitoring patient health and response to the medication, to educate consumers and patients on the use of prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, and to advise physicians, nurses and other health professionals.

“Some 3,000 post of pharmacists had been lying vacant in Balochistan, 6,000 in Punjab, 5,000 in Sindh and 4,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and our colleagues were demanding that the vacancies be filled in on merit at the earliest,” he said.

Pakistan Young Pharmacist Association (PYPA) General Secretary Dr Haroon Yousaf said after passage of the 18th Amendment, the provincial governments should constitute their own drug regulatory bodies.

“Instead of promoting the profession of pharmacy and filling in the vacant posts, the Balochistan government arrested highly skilled and learned pharmacists in Quetta. This act is extremely shameful, inhuman and cruel,” said Dr Haroon while urging the government to immediately release pharmacists.

PYPA Joint Secretary Dr Hina Shaukat urged all pharmacists to join hands to start nationwide protest against the brutal act of the Balochistan government.

She also urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to announce a loan scheme for pharmacists, enabling them to get up to Rs2 million on soft terms, so that they could start their own small and medium enterprises which would not only end the monopoly of multinational firms but also help create jobs.

Before peacefully dispersing, the participants appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to intervene and order release of the pharmacists.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2016