Pakistan Not To Import Medicines From India, Individuals And Hospitals Can With An NoC

Islamabad, August 16 (TNA) The Pakistani government's double standards regarding relations with India have again come to the fore. The Government of Pakistan has said that it will not import any kind of medicines from India itself, but hospitals or ordinary Pakistani citizens can buy medicines from across the border if they wish.

The new order or policy on medicine import has been issued by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). It clearly states that if hospitals or needy people want to get life saving drugs or vaccines from India, they can do so legally. According to DRAP, if hospitals or common citizens want to import any medicine or vaccine from India, then they will be required to obtain a No Objection Certificate. The demand for medicine and vaccine from India was raised many times in the Parliament, but the government remained silent.

The report of Pakistan's website 'The News' said – There is a committee on drug import and trade in the Senate. Its member Professor Mehar Taj Roghani had said in the meeting a few days back that there is a huge shortage of life saving medicines and vaccines in the country's hospitals and the rich are involved in their black marketing. Poor people are getting killed because of this.

It was decided in the meeting that if hospitals and common citizens obtain NOC, then they can buy medicines or vaccines from India. Roghani said- Everyday I get calls from doctors and common people from every corner of Pakistan. They want to buy medicines from India, their list is very long and if we buy them from any other country then we will have to pay many times more.