PESHAWAR: Members of the Pakistan Chemist and Druggist Association on Friday set up a protest camp against the federal government for amending drugs rules and warned that they would agitate if the amendments weren`t withdrawn.

The camp was set up at the Namak Mandi medicine market. Displaying banners and placards, the participants said the changes to drug rules wanted to deprive chemists of jobs.

Speaking on the occasion, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Haji Mohammad Afzal said the recent amendments to the Drug Rules 2017 were tantamount to the economic murder of chemists and druggists, who were running their business after securing licences. He said `some elements` in the health department were taking decisions unilaterally and thus, creating unrest among businessmen.

`If the decision regarding amendments to drug rules is not withdrawn, it will lead to the massive unemployment forcing those relate d to the business to come onto the streets,` he said.

The SCCI chief said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had over 4,000 pharmacists and none of them was jobless as they served in different pharmaceutical units.

He said the government was deceiving people in the name of jobs. Mr Afzal said the decision on the rules amendments was made in haste and without taking chemists into confidence and therefore, it had created unrest among them.

He urged the government to protect businesses of chemists and warned if that didn`t happen, a law and order situation would be created as the business community would take a firm stand on the issue. SCCI vice-president Mohammad Iqbal and protestors, who also spoke on the occasion, said if their demands were not accepted, the business community would announce protests for indefinite period. Bureau Report