Import of Indian drugs blocked by Pak govt

Islamabad, July 17 (PTI) Pakistan government has
blocked a proposal for importing 400 medicines from India
following intense lobbying against the move by the local
pharmaceutical industry.
The proposal forwarded by Pakistan's commerce ministry
was stalled ahead of an expected hike of upto 40 percent in
the prices of life-saving drugs in the country.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has reportedly issued
a direction that no drug produced in Pakistan should be
imported. Gilani also sought justification for importing from
India 13 vaccines and some oncology drugs that are currently
not produced in Pakistan, sources told the Dawn newspaper.
However, the import of these vaccines and oncology products
will continue.
Health Secretary Khushnood Lashari will meet Commerce
Secretary Asif Shah to ensure that the proposal for importing
Indian drugs is closed.
Sources in the commerce ministry had leaked information
about the proposal to import Indian drugs to the local
pharmaceutical industry, which used its "contacts" to pre-empt
the move, the daily said.
Local entrepreneurs contended that the proposed imports
would threaten the jobs of over one million people, affect
annual exports worth more than 120 million dollars and
compromise the availability of medicines during emergencies.
Pakistan's pharmaceutical industry is worth Rs 83
billion and enjoys considerable political clout.
Meanwhile, the health ministry's advisory committee on
drug prices has recommended a 10 to 40 percent increase in
prices of various life-saving drugs.
The panel had been asked to examine the pharmaceutical
industry's requests for a price increase.
The industry has been pressing for a 20-25 percent
across-the-board increase but the proposal was earlier
rejected. The last across-the-boardprice increase was allowed
in 2001.
Another meeting of the advisory committee, sources
said, is likely to be held soon to "fast track" the proposal
for increasing prices of over 300 essential drugs.