Slams govt over inaction against increase in drug prices.

ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday observed that there was mafia of pharmaceutical companies in the country manipulating the prices of medicines but the government was reluctant to take action against it.

A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed and also comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan was hearing a case pertaining to a pharmaceutical company increasing the prices of its medicines.

The chief justice remarked that the government's action was limited to documentary procedures only and lacked the will to make decisions. 'The government doesn't take any action and such matters end up in courts for them to decide,' he added.

The chief justice asked the additional attorney general if the federal cabinet had made any decision on the prices of medicines. The law officer replied that the matter had been referred to a task force, not the cabinet.

Justice Ijaz noted that the task force was apparently using delaying tactics instead of making a decision on the matter.

The chief justice inquired as to what the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan [DRAP] was doing about the issue. 'The government doesn't seem to know what it has to do,' he added.

The judge noted said both pharmaceutical companies and buyers were in a state of uncertainty.

'Pharmaceutical companies send all their profits abroad under the pretext of buying raw material.'

The chief justice further said DRAP was only concerned about its own vested interests.

The additional attorney general said a private company had stopped supplying Buscopan tablets to the market.

He added that if the price of a medicine was...