LAHORE – The Federal Investigation Agency would remain unable to further investigate the case of spurious drugs which have killed more than 200 people in the province, until the cause of death could be established.
A senior official seeking anonymity said that FIA has not stopped its investigation on the case and they already have one accused in judicial custody. He added that the FIA has not arrested the owners of the companies till now at the court’s direction and arrests would only be made the cause of death has been established. He said the case will proceed once the autopsy reports of the deceased are presented to them.
When asked about the case, FIA Assistant Director, Muhammad Ahmad said that they were waiting for instructions of Supreme Court for the arrests, adding that no doctors
or owner of any pharmaceutical company have been arrested on the direction of the provincial government.
FIA Deputy Director, Javed Shah said that MS, PIC has also not been arrested but was called for questioning and FIA has not released him on the pressure exerted by Young Doctors Associations.
He added that the examination report of UK drug testing laboratory have established that there were anti-malaria medicines in the said drugs which caused loss of precious lives.
He said that the Lahore High court has appointed an inquiry tribunal to determine whether the deaths were related to the drugs administered at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, on the request of the provincial government.
The court observed that if drug reaction is established as the cause of death and ailment, then the responsibility will fall on the PIC staff and make recommendations would be made to avert such incidents in the future.
Federal Investigation Agency Director (Legal) Azam Khan told the Supreme Court that until now three cases have been registered regarding the deaths at PIC.