ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench on Monday allowed a local pharmaceutical unit to resume operations.

The unit’s operations had recently been suspended by the government after an inspection.

Justice Ali Nawaz Chohan of the high court, while hearing the petition filed on behalf of the pharmaceutical unit, directed the health ministry to send deputy director-general health to the manufacturing unit and submit a fresh report before the court in this regard. The unit has also been given 21-day period to remove discrepancies pointed out by the inspection team of the health ministry.

Babar Awan advocate, the counsel for the pharmaceutical unit, argued before the court that the manufacturing unit was sealed arbitrarily by the government merely on the assumption that the company was co-owned by MNA Hanif Abbasi.

Mr Abbasi had accused Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and a federal minister of closing down his and his partner’s pharmaceutical unit on November 5. He claimed that he was being politically victimized for having a scuffle with a ruling party MNA Rana Javed Tariq in the Parliament House.

In the petition, Director-General Health Maj-Gen Mohammad Aslam (retired), drugs controller Dr Farzana Chaudhry, chairman Quality Control Rauf Khalid and federal inspector of drugs Dr Abdul Rashid had been made respondents in the case.

The petition also mentions a letter, dated November 7, in which the shortcomings and deficiencies have been pointed out by the inspection team.

It stated the discrepancies mentioned in the letter were minor observations that were not sufficient and appropriate for stopping the unit’s production process.