As trade ties sour with India, Pakistan takes emergency measures to secure drug supplies: Report

Pakistan currently relies heavily on India for 30-40% of its pharmaceutical raw materials, including API and advanced therapeutic products.

Pakistan’s health authorities have initiated emergency preparedness measures to ensure a continued supply of essential pharmaceuticals in response to the suspension of trade ties with India following the Pahalgam terror attack, according to media reports on Saturday.

Islamabad's decision to halt trade with India was made in retaliation for India's suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, a significant diplomatic and trade development that has caused ripples in bilateral relations.

Pakistani daily Geo News reported that the suspension of trade has triggered urgent measures from Pakistan’s Drug Regulatory Authority (DRAP) to secure the country's pharmaceutical needs.

While no formal notification has been issued concerning the impact of the trade halt on the pharmaceutical sector, DRAP has confirmed that contingency plans are already in place.

According to senior officials from the regulatory body, preparations had been set in motion after the 2019 trade disruptions.

“Following the 2019 crisis, we had started preparing for such contingencies. We are now actively looking at alternative avenues to meet our pharmaceutical needs,” as per a DRAP official cited in the report.

Notably, Pakistan currently relies heavily on India for 30 percent to 40 percent of its pharmaceutical raw materials, including Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and advanced therapeutic products. This supply chain disruption has raised alarms in the country’s healthcare sector, which relies on critical supplies such as anti-rabies vaccines, anti-snake venom, cancer treatments, and monoclonal antibodies.

In light of the trade freeze, DRAP has been exploring alternative supply sources from China, Russia, and several European countries to mitigate the impact on pharmaceutical availability.

Experts have, however, warned that these measures may not be enough in the short term.

“Pakistan imports some 30–40 percent of its pharmaceutical raw material from India, and also relies on India for finished products, including anti-cancer therapies and vaccines,” said a senior official from Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services, it has been learnt from the report.

This official, speaking anonymously, stressed that a disruption in these supplies could lead to critical shortages, particularly in life-saving medicines.

Moreover, while the black market for unregistered and smuggled drugs from Afghanistan, Iran, and Dubai offers some short-term relief, the quality and consistency of these medicines remain uncertain, further complicating the situation.

A delegation from the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) has already approached Pakistani authorities, urging an exemption for the pharmaceutical sector from the trade ban. Tauqeer-ul-Haq, Chairman of the PPMA, confirmed that meetings were held with DRAP and Ministry of Commerce officials to discuss the sector’s concerns, emphasizing the critical nature of raw materials that are exclusively sourced from India.

Despite these appeals, some experts view the current crisis as an opportunity for Pakistan to invest in the local production of pharmaceutical raw materials, including APIs, vaccines, and biologicals, which could strengthen the country’s healthcare system in the long run.

“This crisis could be a turning point for Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector,” said Zafar Iqbal, a senior public health expert has been cited in the Geo News report.

The Pahalgam attack, which took place on April 22, claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, and was the deadliest attack in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-based militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack, leading to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan and a sharp diplomatic response from both sides.

As the situation continues to unfold, Pakistan’s health authorities remain focused on securing alternative supply routes, but the country faces an uphill battle to stabilise its pharmaceutical sector amid the broader political and economic consequences of the trade suspension.

(With inputs from PTI)