LAHORE, Feb 27: Chemists on Wednesday observed a partial strike in Lahore against what they called ‘controversial’ Punjab Drug Rules, 2007.

The closure of medical stores, especially outside some public hospitals in the city, caused great inconvenience to the sick and their kin.

The chemists under the banner of Punjab Chemists Council also set up a protest camp in Lohari area, a business place of wholesale medicines dealers, and demonstrated against the government for implementing the rules without taking them into confidence.

Medical stores outside Sir Ganga Ram, Services and Mayo hospitals, and other parts like Yateem Khana, Samnabad, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Islampura, Shadbagh, Mughalpura, Sabzazar, Green Town and Shahdara reportedly remained closed.

The outlets of different pharmacy chains, however, remained open, as they are not part of the chemists' bodies.

Punjab Chemists Council president Nasir Chaudhry claimed that complete strike was observed in other parts of the province.

He said the chemists would not suspend their protest unless the controversial rules were withdrawn and the Drug Rules, 1988, were restored.