KARACHI: Pharmaceutical companies and all the medicine markets in Karachi and other parts of Sindh showing solidarity with the Punjab sector have observed a shutter-down strike on Monday. The wholesalers, retailers and distributors, on the call of Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) and Wholesale Chemist Council of Pakistan (WCCP), suspended their economic activities against what they called ‘killer amendments’ to the Drugs Act 1976 in the Punjab Assembly. Some 270 pharma industrial units across the country along with wholesalers, distributors and stockists associated with the pharmaceutical trade have termed the Punjab Drugs (Amendment) Bill, 2017 as ‘Black Law’. Protest rallies and demonstrations were held against the bill at all the markets in the province including Karachi. PPMA and WCCP said that the centre and all provincial Drug Act regulators should take stakeholders on board while taking any decision or amendment in the act otherwise changes would not be acceptable. “If provinces in the country have decided to unduly take over regulatory and control regime for pharmaceutical sector after scrapping the present nationwide system then I am sure the World Health Organization and other concerned international regulators related to health and medicines would soon declare Pakistan an unfavorable nation,” a press release quoted Dr Kaiser Waheed as saying. The Punjab government should immediately withdraw this law as nowhere in the world the drug regulatory regime is a provincial subject. It is always run by the federal or central governments. He said that if provinces in Pakistan would be allowed to enact laws similar to the one passed by Punjab Assembly then ultimately the provincial governments would be looking after import and export matters related to pharmaceutical industry that should remain a federal issue for all the industries. Regulatory mechanism for issues related to price control, registration, licensing, distribution and sale of medicines should remain a subject of federal government. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) should have powers to control and regulate affairs related to manufacturing and trade of medicines in the country. The best way to achieve this goal is to make Drap an independent and autonomous regulator for pharmaceutical sector. The regulatory authority should be placed under the Council of Common Interests having representation of all the provinces. The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination should not be the controlling authority of Drap to make the pharma sector regulator free from clutches of the government. Zubair Memon, the president of WCCP said the amendment in the Drug Act would push all stakeholders in hot water and consequently they would face huge financial losses. Besides, it will render thousands of employees and allied stakeholders jobless with huge financial loss. They have appealed to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to intervene in the matter to salvage the sector from economic disaster. The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) while supporting the cause voiced hope that the matter would be resolved at the earliest to protect economic interests. Talking to Daily Times, Dr S M Qaiser Sajjad, the secretary general of PMA, said the issue should be resolved at the earliest. “PMA does not support the strike but wants early solution of the issue. Both the government and the PPMA should sit together and resolve the issue as this issue revolves around public.