Islamabad: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries Haroon Akhtar has strongly supported the government’s deregulation policy in the pharmaceutical sector, crediting it with restoring medicine supplies and driving record exports. His assurance came at an emergent meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) with the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) in Islamabad.
Haroon Akhtar said deregulation had delivered real reforms, helping resolve shortages and enabling a 34 percent surge in pharmaceutical exports. He urged the SIFC to safeguard the policy against uncertainty, noting that further growth depended on policy continuity and government support.
At the same session, PPMA Chairman Tauqeer ul Haq acknowledged the positive impact of deregulation and thanked SIFC for endorsing amendments to the drug law regarding directors’ liability.
However, he raised concern over a third-party survey commissioned by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) on the Prime Minister’s advice, pointing out that industry stakeholders had not been consulted. He stressed that any review must take the industry into confidence, given the stakes involved.
The SIFC, led by its Director General, assured the PPMA delegation of continuity in reforms and praised the industry’s proactive role. PPMA also presented a position paper on export opportunities in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, while Haroon Akhtar, ahead of his visit to Tashkent, sought recommendations from the industry and confirmed that banking channels were being resolved, with 11 Pakistani banks preparing to open branches in Uzbekistan.
Later, during a follow-up meeting with the Uzbek ambassador, senior bankers, and government officials, PPMA highlighted both challenges and prospects for expanding exports. The DG SIFC concluded by commending the collaboration between government and industry, saying it was key to sustaining reforms, ensuring uninterrupted medicine availability, and driving export growth.
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