Taking cognizance of a TOI report on illegal cross-border organ trade, Pakistan’s Supreme Court has come down heavily on those involved in the racket and ordered for stringent measures to bring an end to the shocking practice.

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"It is heartening to know of your interest in the fight against organ trade. Your article was... instrumental in the build up of the situation leading to the circumstances finally unfolding in the court’s verdict," said Human Organ Transplant Authority administrator Maj Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Usmani in an email to TOI.

While ordering Lahore-based Aadil Hospital, the kidney centre under scanner, to furnish complete details of all operations undertaken by it in the last three years within two weeks, the SC had directed HOTA to oversee its functioning henceforth.

Back home, Vivekanand Jha, additional professor in PGI’s nephrology department and member of ethics committee of Global Transplantation Society, confirmed that the international renal bazaar was very much alive.

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But defending himself, chief executive officer of Aadil Hospital, Abdul Waheed Sheikh, wrote to TOI that he had stopped the trade following SC orders.