LAHORE, April 20: The Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA) has demanded revised special pay scale for pharmacists, in consonance with that announced by the prime minister for doctors.

PPA Punjab chapter president Prof Dr Bashir told the media at Lahore Press Club on Wednesday that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had announced SPS 9 (equal to BPS 18) for medical graduates and SPS 7 (equal to BPS 16) for pharmacists, showing a clear discrimination against the latter.

He demanded that the doctors and pharmacists should be treated equally.

Prof Bashir also demanded that pharmacists should be given at least Rs50,000 salary package and the registered professionals be given interest-free loans.

“The Punjab government should create at least 3,000 new posts of pharmacists and fill the same through the Public Service Commission,” he said, and warned that a protest movement would be launched if legitimate demands of pharmacists were not fulfilled.

PPA central secretary general Nadeem Iqbal and other office-bearers were also present on the occasion.