‘The News taternational, Karachi, Wednesday, Sune 10, 2008

NATIONAL 3


                                Family murder-suicide incident
Balochistan suspends two
officials as FIR filed in Quetta

By Mohammad Zafar Baloch suspended Under ‘Secretary  Muhammad   Asif   had

Herbal medicines to get legal
framework within weeks, says Kamal

, By M. Wagar Bhatti

importance and role, "This.
. conference is not against ing at such a pace that sented centuries of accu-

. "Diseases are increas-

traditional systems repre-

traditional medicines,
while 15 leading firms have

Jubal (BPS-18) and S&GAD recorded a video before his} ISLAMABAD: Federal Western medicine. Every even if we build hospi- mulated knowledge and established exhibition

‘QUETTA: The Balochistan driver Masood Ahmed death in which he alleged

‘government has suspended (BPS-05). Official notifica. harassment by

Certain neigh-

two officials of the Services tions stated that the suspen- bours. He confirmed that the

and General Administration
Department (S&GAD) and
ordered a comprehensive
inquiry following the tragic
murder-suicide incident in
Quetta’s Wahdat Colony that
claimed the lives of a wornan
andherfourchildren,  .-

According to the police,
a First Information Report
(FIR) has been registered
at Shaheed Amir Muham-
mad Dasti police station on
the complaint of Zarif Khan
Gorgij, the brother of the
deceased Muhammad Asif,
who allegedly shot dead his
wife and four children before
taking his own life,

The case has been regis-
tered under sections relating
to murder, abetment of mur-
der, and suicide. The FIR
names S&GAD Under Secre-
tary Aftab Ahmad Jubal, his
wife, Masood Ahmed Mengal
(driver), and Small Indus-

the

sions were made under the
Balochistan Employees Effi-
elency and Discipline Act,
2012, in view of allegations
of criminal misconduct and
unlawful activities, Authori-
thes confirmed that Masood
Ahmed had also been
arrested by the police,

. Balochistan government

spokesperson and chief citizens to report cases of | pressure on hospitals,

minister's aide Shahid Rind
said CM Sarfraz Bugti imme.
diately took notice of the
incident and directed strict
action against the officials
named in the case, He said
a transparent, impartial, and
merit-based investigation
was under way and that fur-
ther legal and departmental
action would be taken against
anyone found responsible.

“The government will not
tolerate wealigence, miscon-
duct, or irresponsible behay=
four by public servants,” Rind

citizens’ lives, property, and

nominated suspects had been
arrested and that investiga-
tion was continuing. ~

He also highlighted the
availability of government
complaint mechanisms,
including the Chief Minis-
ter’s Complaint Cell and the

* Home Department's com-

plaint system, encouraging
harassment or abuse.

Health Minister Syed field has its own signifi-
Mustafa Kamal announced cance,” he said.

on Tuesday that Pakistan The minister said Paki-
would introduce a reguia- stan’s healthcare system
tory framework for herbal was facing unprecedented
and traditional medicines pressure due to rapid pop.
within weeks, saying the ulation growth and the
country could no longer increasing burden of dis-
ignore a sector that was ease, He noted that hos-
becoming an increasingly pitals across the country
important component of were struggling to cope
healthcare amid rising dis- with patient loads despite
ease burden and growing continued expansion of
healthcare infrastructure,

Addressing the inaugue “We build hospitals but

~ Yousafzai emphasised|ral session of a two-day do not wait for patients.
that the provincial govern-/international exhibition They become full from

ment was committed to pro-
tecting women and ensuring
Strict legal action against
anyone involved in harass.
ment or intimidation, He
reiterated CM Bugti’s stance
that the safety and dignity
of women in the province

. remain a “red line® for the

government,

Meanwhile, funeral
prayers for the deceased
woman and her four children

tries Director Iqbal among  said, adding that protecting were offered in Quetta, which.

were attended by relatives,

The complainant alleged rights remains the adminis- friends, and a large number

that his brother Muhammad

Asif had been subjected to

continuous harassment,
blackmail, and psychological
pressure by the nominated
individuals. He claimed
that Aftab Jubal repeatedly
threatened his brother and
kept him under severe men-
tal stress, wtimately driving
himto take the extromestep,

* Following the inckdent, ~

and seminar on herbal, the very first day,” he

tration’s foremost prioity. © of local residents, The victims

Meanwhile, Assistant to were later laid to rest amid
the Chief Minister on Home scenes of grief and mouming.
Affairs Babar Khan Yousafzai == The provincial government
expressed deep sorrow over has directed relevant author
the tragedy and urged cit- ties tosubmita detailed report
izens facing harassment, on the inckient at the earliest,

blackmail, or social pressure
to seek help from authori-
ties rather than resorting to
extreme actions,

while the investigators con-
tinue to determine the cir-
cumstances surrounding one

,” of the most shocking family

In 2 video message, tragedies witnessed in Quetta

traditional, Unant and
homeopathic medicines in
Islamabad, Kamal said the
government had completed
work on the proposed leg~
islation and sent it to the

Ministry of Law for review,

adding the Drug Regula-
tory Authority of Pakistan
@rap) would soon have
formal regulations in place
forthe sector.

. "We feel that herbal
medicines are the need
of the time,” the health
minister said, noting that
despite the widespread use
of traditional remedies in
Pakistan, the sector had
long operated without a
comprehensive legal and
regulatory framework,

He clarified that the
conference was not being
held in opposition to
modern medicine and
Stressed that every system

remarked, warning that
simply increasing the num:
ber of hospitals would not
be sufficient to address
the country’s health chal-
lenges. - .

He claimed that an
average patient in Pakistan
takes around eight days
to recover from illness
compared to approxi-
mately three days in many
developed countries, argu-
ing that greater empha:
sis should be placed on

tals In every street, they continued to benefit mil-
will still not be enough,” lions of people worldwide.
he said, adding that Paki- .. He stressed that the
stan was approaching a future of traditional med-
critical stage in terms of icine depended on scien-
healthcare challenges and tific research, clinical val
required urgent reforms. dation and evidence-based
The minister noted that approaches, adding that
around 85 per cent ofmed- Comstech would con-
fcines used In Pakistan tinue supporting research,
were manufactured locally capacity building and
but said the pharmaceu- international collaboration
tical industry remained araong OIC member states
heavily dependent on inthis field, «
imported raw materials.’        Drap Chief Executive
He said recommenda- Officer Dr Obaidullah said
tions emerging from the traditional and complemen
two-day conference would tary medicine remained an
be reviewed carefully and important source of health-
assured participants that care, particularly in rural

the government would take
practical steps to support
the development and reg-
ulation of traditional and
herbal medicines,        .

“I promise that we will
not lag behind on this
issue,” he added.

+ The international exhi-
bition and seminar has
been organised fointly by
the OIC Standing Com-
mittee on Scientific and

disease prevention and Technological Cooperation
alternative approaches to (Comstech), Drap and the
healthcare...                Ministry of National Health

Expressing |   concern Services to explore ways of |

areas, but emphasised that
greater scientific research
and clinical evidence were
needed to integrate herbal
and traditional medicines
effectively into the national
health system.

The exhibition features
Participation from 53 inst
tutions and companies
associated with herbal,
homeopathic, Unani and

over the country’s demo- integrating traditional and||tom

graphic and health trends, complementary medicine
he said more than six mil- into Pakistan's healthcare

lion children were being
born in Pakistan every .
year, while the number of
people suffering from var-

system,

Speaking at the event,
Comstech  Coordinator
General Prof Dr Muham-

tous Illnesses continued mad Iqbal Choudhary said

stalls to showcase their
products and technologies. :
Diptomats and repre-
sentatives from Jordan, :
Palestine, Sudan, Yemen,
Mauritania, Thailand, :
Kazakhstan, ‘Indonesia
and the Turkish Republic
of Northem Cyprus, along
with representatives of the
Russian Embassy, attended
the opening ceremony. :
Experts participating in
the seminar are expected to.
discuss herbal medicines,
clinical tials, regulatory
frameworks, international
quality standards, export
opportunities, medicinal
plant research and strate-
gies for integrating tradi-
tional medicine into maine.
Streamhealthcare.
Participants are expected
to formulate recommenda-
tions and a roadmap aimed.

~ at strengthening rescarch,

regulation, industrial devel-
opment and an effective
incorporation of traditional
medicines into Pakistan's
national health system, -

the Balochistan goverment Yousafzai revealed that

in recent years. +                 of healthcare had its own

to rise.

Unani medicine and other


Invan meets
‘Bushya in jail

PTI leaders, family denied access to PTI founder

By Shakeel Anjum        checkpoints established
:                       at Dahgal and Gorakhpur,
preventing them from pro-
ceeding to the jail facility.
The sources disclosed
that the list of visitors for-
mally submitted by the PTI
to jail authorities included
Barrister Gohar Khan, Ali
Zaman, Intizar Hussain Pan-

RAWALPINDI: Authorities
at the Adiala Jail on Tues-
day facilitated a meeting
betwee