ISLAMABAD: Member of National Assembly Ramesh Lal belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party has exposed money laundering by some pharmaceutical companies in the country. He said that why the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan was ignoring this scam.
PPP MNA pointed out a pharmaceutical company has been allowed to import raw material at $1,000 per kg and the same raw material was being imported at $300 some other companies in Pakistan. Where is happening to difference of $700 and is it not a money laundering, he argued.
Ramesh Lal raised this scam in a meeting of the Standing Committee on Health that was chaired by Nisar Ahmed Cheema. PPP MNA also asserted that more than 200 percent difference in value of raw materials import by some pharmaceutical manufacturing companies was not only violation of existing laws, but it appeared to be an organised money laundering method.
Ramesha Lal also pointed out that the record of the case of pharmaceutical company importing raw material at a very high price was not handed over to DRAP for probing this matter even after a lapse of a year. PPP MNA said he would refer this case to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in case DRAP did not take action in this mater.
Nisar Ahmed Cheema, the convener of the committee, therefore, directed the DRAP officials to submit the details of the case presented by the members to the committee. The committee also decided to visit major pharmaceutical companies in phases in all four provinces.
