Islamabad:
According to a media report on Saturday, Pakistani health authorities have launched “emergency measures” measures to secure medicines in response to the suspension of trade relations with India.
In response to India’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty after the attack on Pahargam, Islamabad on Thursday halted all trade with New Delhi amid other moves.
Geo News reported that India’s trade halt has sparked a need for Pakistan for drugs “securing emergency measures” and that health authorities have launched “emergency preparations” measures to secure supplies.
Pakistan’s Drug Regulatory Authority (DRAP) said it had no formal notice regarding the impact of the ban on the drug sector, but confirmed that the accidental plan was already in place.
“Following the crisis of 2019, we have begun preparing for such contingencies. We are now actively considering alternative paths to meet our pharmaceutical needs,” the report cites senior Drup staff as saying.
Currently, Pakistan relies on India for 30% to 40% of the raw materials of pharmaceuticals, including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and various advanced therapeutic products.
Once this supply chain is distributed, DRAP is seeking alternative sources from China, Russia and several European countries.
The agency aims to ensure the continued availability of essential medical supplies, including anti-rabies vaccines, anti-snark venoms, cancer therapy, monoclonal antibodies, and other important biological organisms.
Drap preparation offers some peace of mind, but industry insiders and health experts have warned of looming challenges if immediate steps are not being taken to manage the fallout of trade halts.
“Pakistan imports about 30-40% of the raw materials of medicines from India. It also imports the final products, most importantly anti-cancer therapy, biological products, vaccines, serum, especially anti-mad vaccines and anti-snake poison from India, and requests for cooperation from the Ministry of Health Services of the People,
The Ministry of Health has yet to receive an official directive clarifying the status of drug imports, despite the government’s blanket announcement halting all trade with India.
The pharmaceutical sector fears supply chain disruption could lead to serious shortages.
This situation is further complicated by the existence of a robust black market where unregistered, unapproved medicines are smuggled into Pakistan across Afghanistan, Iran, Dubai and even the eastern border, the report says.
These channels fill the gaps left by legal imports, but do not provide guarantees of quality or consistent supply.
A delegation of pharmaceutical industry leaders traveled to Islamabad on Thursday to appeal for a trade ban exemption.
“We held a meeting with Drup and the Ministry of Commerce officials to discuss the suspension of trade relations. We urged the drug sector to be exempt from the ban, as there are many life-saving products in which raw materials come from India alone.”
The PPMA delegation also approached the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and argued that drug and health-related trade must be excluded from the ban in order to protect the lives of patients.
However, some experts see the current crisis as a wake-up call for long-term investments in local production of APIs, vaccines and biology.
“This crisis could be a turning point for Pakistan,” said Zafar Iqbal, a senior public health expert.
Terrorists fired fire in Pahargam, Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in the valley’s most lethal attacks since Pulwama attacked in 2019.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published by Syndicate Feed.)
