PM orders legal action against individuals and hospitals involved in their use or found negligent in their prevention
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a meeting to review measures taken to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. PHOTO: Office of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered authorities to impose a nationwide ban on the manufacturing and use of substandard syringes as part of efforts to curb the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.
The directive was adopted at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister to review measures taken to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The meeting included Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister of State for Health Mukhtar Ahmad Bharat, Attorney General Mansoor Awan, Global Fund representative Izaskun Gaviria, public health experts, representatives of the Ministry of National Health Services, DRAP and senior government officials.
Prime Minister Shehbaz ordered legal action against individuals and hospitals involved in the use of non-compliant syringes or found guilty of criminal negligence in preventing their use.
He also led the formation of a committee of health experts to develop recommendations for controlling infectious diseases, asking it to consult provincial governments before finalizing its proposals.
The Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of Justice to work with relevant institutions to propose amendments to the legal and regulatory framework if necessary. “A comprehensive national strategy and its effective implementation are the only solution to this problem,” the Prime Minister said, according to the statement.
Read: SHC demands ‘comprehensive’ report from Sindh govt in 2 weeks on HIV outbreak reported in Karachi hospital
He also asked the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan to consult the medical devices industry and come up with policy measures to permanently prevent the spread of infectious diseases through the use of syringes.
The Prime Minister said support from international partners remained crucial to ongoing efforts to combat communicable diseases and highlighted the need to focus on the manufacturing of medical equipment and internationally recognized training of health workers.
The meeting was briefed on the measures taken by the special task force established on the instructions of the Prime Minister, as well as the initiatives of the Ministry of National Health Services to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
The directive comes a day after a petition filed in the Sindh High Court alleged that the HIV outbreak at Kulsum Bai Valika (KBV) Hospital located in the Sindh Industrial Area (SITE) was caused by the reuse of contaminated disposable syringes and gross medical negligence, leading to the spread of the infection to over 200 children, with several deaths reported.
Separately, a letter addressed to the chief secretary and other senior government officials, dated March 31 and submitted by the lawyer, shared with The Express PK Press Clubnoted that the outbreak initially infected 84 children between November 2025 and February 2026.
