IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN 
(ORIGINAL JURISDICTION) 
 
 
PRESENT: 
MR. JUSTICE TASSADUQ HUSSAIN JILLANI, HCJ 
MR. JUSTICE KHILJI ARIF HUSSAIN 
MR. JUSTICE SH. AZMAT SAEED 
 
H.R.C. NO. 4925-G OF 2014 
(Suo moto taken on the Daily News dated 
25.2.2014 regarding diagnostic injections cause 
cancer) 
 
In Attendance: 
Mr. Sajid Ilyas Bhatti, DAG 
 
Dr. Javaid Akhtar, D.G. PINSTECH 
 
Mr. Sohail Akram, Sr. Law Officer 
 
 
Date of Hearing:  
03.04.2014 
 
ORDER 
 
 
 
TASSADUQ HUSSAIN JILLANI, CJ.- Suo moto notice 
was taken on a news item published in Daily News dated 
25.2.2014 to the effect that the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear 
Science and Technology (PINSTECH) has been supplying cancer 
diagnostic injections allegedly contaminated with undesirable 
radionuclides that could cause cancer instead of diagnosing it and 
despite a direction for an enquiry, no action had been taken. 
Pursuant to the notice issued, the Director General PINSTECH 
constituted a committee to investigate into the allegations leveled 
and submit a report. It would be pertinent to refer to the summary 
of the findings of the said inquiry, which is as under:- 
“i. 
The committee studied in depth the quality procedures 
/ SOP, visited relevant production facilities and testing 
Labs, interviewed relevant scientists / technicians as 
well as went through the record of inspection / 
acceptance / rejection.  
 
ii. 
The following quality acceptance tiers are functioning 
at PINSTECH. 
 
a. 
The Quality Control Group under Incharge 
Production. 
  
b. 
Health Physics Laboratories and Quality 
Assurance Group under DG PINSTECH:- 
H.R.C. NO. 4925-G OF 2014 
2
The 
Inquiry 
Committee 
thoroughly 
checked the QC and QA record of all the 
molybdenum-99 batches produced at 
PINSTECH and found it in order as per 
SOP.  
 
iii.  
Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), being 
an independent regularity authority and licensor, also 
conducts random testing which was verified by the 
Committee. 
 
iv. 
The production facility was installed / commissioned 
by renowned German scientists and highly qualified 
Pakistani scientists. The Mo-99 is thus produced 
according to the international quality standards.  
 
v. 
The feed-backs from various end-user hospitals have 
been received and confirmed that product is rechecked 
and qualified by the user. The disqualified product (if 
any) is not used. 
 
vi. 
The committee has satisfied itself that standard 
operating 
procedures 
for 
qualification 
and 
certifications were not violated. No evidence could be 
found of any pressure whatsoever from the high ups 
on the analysts or technicians to alter the quality 
control results.”  
 
2. 
 
In view of the report submitted, it seems the news item 
was not based on a correct appreciation of the relevant facts. In 
any case, it has served a purpose i.e. on intervention of the Court, 
the PINSTECH got the allegations inquired into and the findings 
referred to above lend credibility to the exercise undertaken by the 
PINSTECH. In the afore-referred circumstances, the proceedings 
have fructified and are being disposed of accordingly.    
 
CHIEF JUSTICE 
 
JUDGE 
 
 
 
JUDGE 
Islamabad, the 
3rd of April, 2014 
Not Approved For Reporting  
Khurram 
