ISLAMABAD, Dec 1: The Pakistan Chemists Retailers Association (PCRA) on Saturday demanded of the government to set up more drug-testing laboratories in the Punjab.

In a statement, the PCRA representatives suggested that for the time being, the laboratory available at the PCSIR should be upgraded to the level of a drug-testing laboratory.

They said the outdated testing procedure being employed at the available laboratory was not capable of meeting the modern day requirements, or keeping strict vigilance on the standard of drugs.

The demand of establishing more drug-testing laboratories in the Punjab had also been raised in the past but, every initiative towards this direction was thwarted by vested interests, they alleged.

They stated that a group of people wanted to gain control of the laboratory’s affairs to influence the drug-testing procedure. Several complaints were filed against these people for their inability to check the quality of drugs and for being involved in corruption. This group always opposed setting up of more testing laboratories.

The efficiency of the laboratory had also been badly affected because of these people, the PCRA alleged.