Karachi (GNP): Alamgir Chaudhry, Chief Executive Officer, National Productivity Organization (NPO), emphasized the need to strengthen international regulatory compliance and quality standards to enhance the global competitiveness of Pakistan’s pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry and expand its access to international markets.
Speaking at an industry dissemination seminar held at the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Office in Karachi on October 30, 2026, he highlighted the importance of technical capacity building, improved productivity and effective government–industry collaboration in promoting sustainable industrial development and export growth. He also briefed participants on the mandates, initiatives and services of NPO Pakistan and the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Japan, and encouraged pharmaceutical manufacturers to benefit from their technical assistance, training and capacity-building programmes.
Mr. Adnan Hirani, Chairman PPMA, highlighted the significance of technical capacity building and industry-wide collaboration in enabling pharmaceutical companies to meet international regulatory requirements. He emphasized the need to explore new international markets and expand pharmaceutical exports, noting that this would require continuous improvements in manufacturing practices, production capabilities and quality standards.
Dr. Shaiekh Kaiser Waheed, Former Chairman PPMA, welcomed the guests and participants and appreciated the initiative undertaken by NPO and PPMA to strengthen the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry. He stressed the importance of aligning pharmaceutical manufacturing practices and quality management systems with international standards to improve product quality, ensure regulatory compliance and enhance the sector’s export readiness.
The seminar was organized by NPO, under the Ministry of Industries and Production, Government of Pakistan, in collaboration with PPMA and the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), as part of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Technical Expert Service (TES) on Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Industry Development, being implemented from October 20–30, 2026.
The initiative aims to strengthen regulatory compliance, enhance productivity and improve the export readiness of Pakistan’s pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies, with particular focus on Global Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) principles and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements.
Mr. Chuan Yao, an international technical expert from Singapore with over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, GMP/cGMP, PIC/S, US FDA requirements, regulatory compliance and inspection preparedness, provided technical guidance, conducted company-level assessments and supported capacity building under the programme. His engagement helped participating companies identify compliance gaps and explore practical measures to address them.
The technical assistance covers PIC/S principles, GMP/cGMP standards, production processes, quality assurance and control, documentation, validation, data integrity, regulatory affairs and inspection preparedness. The programme also seeks to strengthen quality management systems, identify priority corrective actions and enhance companies’ readiness to meet international regulatory requirements. Its findings and lessons learned are expected to support the development of a model FDA compliance framework for wider application across the industry.
As part of the broader initiative, industry dissemination seminars were also held in Rawalpindi and Lahore on October 26 and 28, respectively, to share technical knowledge, expert guidance and international best practices with a wider audience across Pakistan’s pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sector.
The initiative is aligned with Pakistan’s Pharmaceuticals Export Strategy 2023–2027, which recognizes pharmaceuticals as a priority export sector, and supports the objectives of URAAN Pakistan and the National Economic Transformation Plan 2024–29, particularly in promoting export-led growth, workforce development and industrial competitiveness.
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Through this initiative, NPO, PPMA and RCCI reaffirm their commitment to strengthening technical capabilities, improving industrial productivity, promoting international best practices and enabling Pakistani pharmaceutical and nutraceutical enterprises to capitalize on greater opportunities in global markets.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
