ISLAMABAD: An association of Pakistani oncologists on Friday described as “misleading” the claims of some analysts about chemotherapy and its use in treatment of cancer patients, which were aired by Pakistan’s state television last week.
Rizwan Razi, a political commentator, on Dec. 13 declared chemotherapy in Pakistan a “fraud” and said on a Pakistan Television (PTV) show it was used to swindle patients of billions of rupees. Without naming the doctor, Razi said he was informed by an Australian oncologist that they feared going beyond three chemotherapy sessions of a patient and in Pakistan, the treatment usually involved eight sessions, calling oncologists suggesting excessive sessions a “fraud.”
He said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was going to bring a “Chinese technology” to Pakistan to successfully treat cancer patients in the country. Ameen Hafeez, another panelist, hailed Nawaz for offering free treatment to all cancer patients at Nawaz Sharif Cancer Care Hospital. Shumaila Chaudhry, the host of show ‘Siyasat Tonight,’ said those who were scared of the disease should stop being afraid of it, as its “solution” was soon going to be introduced in the country.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Society of Medical Oncology Pakistan (SMOP) criticized the panelists for sharing “misleading” information about cancer treatment and said “such statements could endanger people’s lives.”
“Authentic institutes such as National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), European Society for Medical Oncology (ESO), and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASMO) stress the important role of chemotherapy in cancer treatment,” the SMOP said. “In Pakistan, cancer is treated according to international standards.”
Nawaz announced in October the establishment of 920-bed Nawaz Sharif Cancer Care Hospital in Lahore, saying the “expertise to treat cancer are quite rare in Pakistan, for which people spend all their savings.”
This week, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said that Nawaz, during her recent visit to China, had signed an agreement with a Chinese firm for the transfer of ‘HYGEA’ innovative therapy, which uses extreme cold to destroy cancer cells and is said to be minimally invasive.
The SMOP said airing misleading information regarding such topics was not only dangerous for patients, but it impacted public confidence in medical procedures and treatment.
It requested the PTV to issue a “clear statement” distancing itself from the views of aforementioned program host and panelists.
“It must be ensured in the future that discussions on sensitive topics like medical treatment should be based on expert opinions of information from authentic, professional individuals,” the SMOP added.
Pakistani oncologists refute ‘misleading’ chemotherapy claims aired on state TV
https://arab.news/c9r83
Pakistani oncologists refute ‘misleading’ chemotherapy claims aired on state TV
- Panelists on a PTV show last week said doctors in Pakistan recommended excessive chemotherapy sessions to treat cancer patients
- Society of Medical Oncology Pakistan criticizes the panelists for sharing ‘misleading’ information, says they follow global standards
Pakistan offloads 23 passengers bound for Malaysia in illegal immigration crackdown
- Authorities say passengers admitted being in contact with agents who were helping them seek illegal employment on a visit visa
- Pakistan arrested over 1,700 smugglers, offloaded 66,154 passengers and recorded a 47 percent fall in illegal migration to Europe in 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities offloaded 23 passengers traveling from Karachi to Malaysia to seek employment on visit visas, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said on Friday, as the country ramps up its crackdown on illegal immigration.
The development is part of Pakistan’s continuing effort to curb illegal immigration and human smuggling. Pakistan reported a 47 percent drop in illegal immigration to Europe this year, with more than 1,700 human smugglers arrested.
Authorities said this week 66,154 passengers were offloaded from Pakistani airports in 2025 so far compared to last year’s figure of 35,000.
“The passengers were traveling to Malaysia on flight number D7-109,” an FIA statement said on Friday.
“The passengers were planning to go into hiding after reaching Malaysia,” it continued, adding they “admitted that they were traveling to Malaysia under the cover of visit visas to seek employment.”
The statement said the passengers, hailing from Peshawar, Lower Dir, Mardan, Swat, Bajaur and Bannu in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as Gujrat in Punjab and Karachi in Sindh, were in contact with agents who were helping them seek illegal employment in Malaysia.
The FIA said the passengers were carrying insufficient funds and failed to show the amount required to cover visit visa expenses.
It added they had not submitted the mandatory bank statements needed to obtain Malaysian visit visas.
All the arrested passengers have been handed over to the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking circle in Karachi for further verification and legal action.
Pakistan intensified action against illegal migration in 2023 after hundreds of people, including its own nationals, lost their lives while trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach European shores in an overcrowded vessel that sank off the Greek coast.
Earlier this week, the FIA offloaded three passengers at Karachi airport who were attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on forged documents.
In September, the FIA released a list of more than 100 of the country’s “most wanted” human smugglers as part of its ongoing nationwide operation, identifying major hubs of trafficking activity across Punjab and Islamabad.
Earlier in December, Pakistan’s interior ministry announced to roll out an AI-based immigration screening system in Islamabad from January next year to detect forged travel documents and prevent illegal departures.
