Daily Times

Senate Committee on Delegated Legislation on Wednesday expressed reservation regarding abundance of unauthorized practitioners or quacks risking the lives of common people in the country.

The committee met here at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Farooq Hamid Naek.

The DRAP officials were of the view that practices, licensing and registration of such practitioners was regulated by respective health commissions and matter does not fall under the ambit of DRAP. The committee informed that DRAP only deals with matters related to enlisting of medicines manufactured or imported in the country and authorizing their usage by registered health professionals. Homeopathic practice is governed by National Council for Homoeopathy and Tibb falls under the regulatory control of National Council for Tibb.

Delegated legislation pertaining to regulation of alternative medicines in the country was scrutinized by the committee.

Chairman committee sought explanation from Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) officials regarding regulation of homeopathic, Tibb and Ayurvedic practice and education in the country.

Chairman committee directed to call officials of the respective councils in the next meeting of the committee for further deliberations on the matter and further commented that DRAP should not frame rules without consulting relevant councils.

Committee discussed the agenda item number 1 and 2 on Point of Public importance regarding appointment of PAS officers as Chief Secretaries in the four provinces as well as in Azad Kashmir & GB raised by Senator Kauda Babar on the floor of the House and referred to the committee on 14th of June, 2021.

Secretary Establishment informed the committee members that matter is sub judice before courts through multiple litigation and committee cannot discuss the matters pending before courts as it is likely to prejudice the consideration of the matter by the tribunal, commission or court of inquiry.

Chairman Committee asked Secretary Establishment to present copies of petitions and comments filed in return by Establishment Division in the next meeting of committee.

Committee then moved onto the agenda item number 3 on scrutiny of TORs of the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) regarding its role in the formulation of delegated legislation.

Secretary Law and Justice briefed the committee that in order to expedite the process of delegated legislation CCLC meetings are held every Thursday on weekly basis to assess the proposals received from different departments. Decisions of CCLC are ratified by cabinet.

Chairman Committee commented that wherever words ‘Federal Government’ is mentioned it necessarily means Federal Cabinet.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said that political overview is very important and for that very reason words “Minister In charge” were inducted in the rules. Matter was disposed off after due deliberations.

Committee meeting was attended by Senators Kesho Bai, Kauda Babar, Prof. Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani, Molvi Faiz Muhammad, Rubina Khalid, Prof. Sajid Mir and officials from Establishment Division, DRAP, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination and Ministry of Law and Justice were also present.