LAHORE: The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department on Monday told the Lahore High Court that the government has imposed a ban on hoarding and profiteering of surgical face masks in the wake of their demand amid the coronavirus threat.

In a written reply submitted to the court, the department said the provincial government also imposed a ban on personal protective equipments throughout the province for two months.

It said that first information reports were being registered against the hoarders and profiteers under Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act1977 and other laws.

About public awareness campaigns, the reply said the department secretary had widely circulated preventive measures through social, electronic and print media for coronavirus epidemic and that wearing a mask was not necessary for healthy people. It said the surgical masks were available on controlled rates at 833 pharmacies in the province.

After going through the reply, Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh asked a government law officer whether advertisements had been aired on television channels for awareness.

The law officer said airing advertisements on TV channels was costly for the government. He asked the court to order all private televisionchannels to run 10-minute public service message on coronavirus.

At this, the chief justice issued a notice to Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.

The CJ was hearing a petition by Judicial Activism Panel Chairman Advocate Azhar Siddique against unavailability of surgical masks in the market. The petition also questioned overpricing and shortage of life-saving drugs at government hospitals.

About the issue of price, a report by Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan said recommendations of drug pricing committee will be forwarded to the national health ministry for onward submission to the federal cabinet. After approval by the cabinet, the maximum retail prices will be notified in the official gazette, said the report.