LHC seeks final arguments on petition against mask, life-saving drug price hike

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday sought final arguments on a petition against sale of face masks, temperature guns, and life-saving drugs at inflated prices.

Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi of the high court directed the petitioner as well as lawyers representing the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and other respondent authorities to forward their final arguments in the case at next hearing.

At the start of the hearing, the drug regulator and other respondents submitted their response to the petition.

Judicial Activism Panel Chairman Advocate Azhar Siddique moved the petition, contending that coronavirus cases are on the rise in the country but prices of hand sanitizers, masks, and life-saving drugs have gone up exponentially.

He told the court that one packet of Chloroquine tablets, used to treat COVID-19 patients, has hit Rs3,000 while injection Actemra is being sold at up to Rs1 million. Masks, temperature guns and plasma of recovered patients, which is donated free-of-cost for transfusion, are too being sold at exorbitant rates, he added.