Commerce minister says committed to boosting pharma exports

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan reaffirmed his commitment to boosting pharmaceutical exports, announcing the establishment of an empowered Pharma Export Promotion Council, PharmEx Pakistan, under the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).

“The pharmaceutical sector has huge export potential, and PharmEx Pakistan is just one or two steps away from becoming operational,” said the minister. He appreciated the industry’s rapid progress and assured continued government facilitation to achieve global export targets.

On trade with Afghanistan, he stated, “With every passing day, our relations are growing stronger and more streamlined — pharmaceutical exports will rise accordingly.”

The minister’s remarks came during a presentation by Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association (PPMA) Chairman Touqeerul Haq, who briefed him on the formation of PharmEx Pakistan, a public-private initiative to promote and manage pharmaceutical exports.

Chairman Touqeerul Haq praised the minister’s prompt action in addressing critical issues, stating it helped the industry avoid major financial losses.

He added that PharmEx Pakistan has the potential to raise pharmaceutical exports from $700 million to $3 billion.

The initiative builds on strong sectoral growth, with exports rising from USD 270 million in 2020–21 to $355 million in 2024–25, as noted in the latest industry figures.

Touqeerul Haq also called for better facilitation of exports to Afghanistan, a key market, and welcomed the minister’s assurance of focused policy coordination.

PharmEx Pakistan is expected to serve as a dedicated platform to enhance regulatory compliance, market access, and international outreach for Pakistani pharmaceutical products.

The Minister assured the association of the Ministry’s commitment to resolve the issues faced by the exporters and announced the establishment of a dedicated Exporter Facilitation Desk in the Ministry to help the export industry with critical matters requiring urgent intervention of the government.