Lahore                                                                                                                                                                                                   12 July 2018                                                                                                                                                                                         (Express Tribune)

Pakistan’s leading daily English ‘Express Tribune’ reported today that Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar directed the Lahore High Court registrar to fix hearing for a petition filed by a retired army officer against former army chief General (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in an alleged medical scam.

The petitioner, Lt Col (retd) Inamul Rahiem, in his petition has accused Kiyani of disbanding a legally established Armed Forces Medical Store Depot, as well as manufacturing, supplying and procuring substandard and spurious medicines.

The retired lieutenant colonel moved a petition requesting the court to issue directives for a complete audit of the medicines tendered, purchased and procured by the “improperly established depots” at 27 combined medical hospitals.

The SC registrar, however, returned the petition over a few objections. Later, the petitioner filed an appeal against the registrar’s decision.

The CJP heard the appeal against registrar office objections.

The chief justice while passing the order asked LHC registrar office to fix the matter before the court. “I am sanguine that learned court (LHC) shall decide the matter expeditiously,” he added.

The order also noted that the case does not fall under the purview of Article 184(3).

The applicant made the Ministry of Defence, Gen (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Lt-General (retd) Athar respondents in the case.

“During his [Athar’s] stay as corps commander Karachi, he came across certain medicine manufacturers and knew their business technique and after his retirement from [the] armed forces he decided to set up a business of medicines,” the petition stated.

It further added that Athar sought services from former Lt Col Naveed.

In 2009, a drug inspector sent the sample of tablet Tinize manufactured by Medizan Laboratories (Pvt) Ltd which was supplied to the DHQ Hospital Rawalpindi and in the market.

The Drug Testing Laboratory Punjab in February 2009 confirmed that the said drug was substandard and also revealed that Medizan had also issued warranty to Foray Pharma in 2008.