KARACHI: Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has said that billions of dollars worth of medicines are exported from Pakistan and it could be more than textiles with due efforts. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision is the Ehsaas health card, which will provide medical cover to millions of people and also boost pharmaceutical industry.
He was speaking at the Expo Centre here after inaugurating three-day Pak Pharma and Healthcare Exhibition on Tuesday. The exhibition has been organized by the Prime Event Management in collaboration with Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA).
Director Prime Event Kamran Abbasi, Chairman PPMA Mansoor Dilawar, President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Muhammad Idrees, MC Members KCCI Zia-ul-Arfeen, Muhammad Arif Lakhani, Asim Ijaz, Abu Bakar Shamsi, Nasir Riaz Anwal, Tanveer Barry, Amir Churra and Qamar Usman were also present at the occasion.
Governor Imran Ismail visited various stalls of the exhibition and talked to exhibitors.
He assured the pharmaceutical industry that all their problems, including export matter would be resolved amicably, asserting that the development of this industry was also the vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“At present pharma exports stand at $300 billion, which could increase further,” he told. The governor said that Ehsaas Health Card is an unprecedented program as those people who could not even buy a medicine were now getting free and quality treatment facility.
He stressed that medicine prices in Pakistan were the lowest in the region as major raw materials are imported, and will be cheaper when we would produce our own raw material. He emphasized that pharma industry is the human service sector.
Imran Ismail said that the Law banning benefits by big pharma companies to doctors is appreciable step. It will benefit patients, he added.
To a question, he asked the reporter to name a country where petroleum products, medicines are cheaper than Pakistan, adding inflation is a worldwide phenomenon. “Past governments taxed the people, we reduced it. The government is not happy about making things expensive. It is a compulsion. Pakistan cannot afford more subsidies,” he told.
In response to a question about leaked audio of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, the Sindh governor said that the ‘Video and Calibri Queen’ lies blatantly but had been caught all the time yet she is not ashamed at all.
“Audio plot against Saqib Nisar was full of lies and the higher judiciary should investigate it. There must be a forensic test of the audio tape. Such things start to happen when their cases are put on for hearings. These people have made a mockery of the judiciary, the country can no longer be held hostage in their hands.”
About Green Line BRT project, he said that it was in the final stages. “Green Line is my dream. Mass transit could not be provided to Karachi by the Sindh government, they failed and we are doing it,” he contested.
Director Prime Event Kamran Abbasi said that the exhibition was organised in two halls in collaboration with the PPMA, and over 70 domestic and foreign companies were participating. Equipment and machinery used in the pharmaceutical industry, service delivery and laboratories are on the display.
He said the event was aimed at promoting the pharma industry. The exhibition will run until Thursday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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