LAHORE, Jan 31: Chemists observed a two-hour strike against the ‘controversial’ Drug Rules 2007 in the city on Thursday.

They staged a demonstration at Lohari Gate, the city’s major medicine market, and also set up a hunger strike camp there. Besides, most of the medical stores in the other parts of the city also observed a token strike between 2pm and 4pm. The strike caused inconvenience for the people in need of essential medicines.

MMA leader Liaquat Baloch also visited the camp and expressed solidarity with the chemists. He urged the government to redress their grievances.

Punjab Chemists Council president Nisar Chaudhry and general secretary Saleem Shaikh criticised the government for what he called its indifferent attitude towards chemists’ problems.

They said if the government did not withdraw the controversial rules the pharmaceutical industry would be crippled. The chemists failed to understand as to why the provincial government was not keeping its promise to restore the drug rules of 1988, they added.

They said the implementation of new drug rules would affect the business of over 50,000 medical stores’ owners. The new rules were aimed at ‘promoting’ the pharmacy culture, they said.

They warned that if the government did not withdraw the controversial rules they would close their business and hold demonstrations throughout the province in days to come.