Islamabad: In a landmark development for Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector, ten Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between Pakistani and Chinese companies in Islamabad for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) manufacturing, technology transfer, vaccine collaboration, and pharmaceutical investment, marking a historic step toward pharmaceutical self-reliance and major Chinese investment in Pakistan.
According to Press Information Department, Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal, addressing the event as Chief Guest, described the occasion as a historic milestone for Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry and healthcare sector, particularly in terms of local production of pharmaceutical raw materials. He emphasized the importance of self-reliance in healthcare, achievable through technology transfer and strategic industrial collaboration. Kamal noted that while 10 MoUs were signed, two flagship agreements focus on pharmaceutical raw material production and vaccine manufacturing, which hold strategic importance.
Pakistan, currently exporting medicines to 51 countries, relies heavily on imported pharmaceutical raw materials. The government is now taking steps to reduce this dependence and build domestic manufacturing capability. Kamal highlighted the country’s import of poultry vaccines worth approximately $4.5 million and the future need for local vaccine manufacturing as global immunization support arrangements are expected to change by 2030.
With the development of a National Vaccine Policy and efforts to achieve WHO Level 3 certification, Pakistan aims to expand its pharmaceutical export access. Kamal also addressed national healthcare challenges, including rapid population growth and maternal health concerns, calling for urgent preventive healthcare reforms.
Parliamentary Secretary for Commerce Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, who facilitated the Chinese pharmaceutical investment initiative, stated that the development reflects the government’s policy of strengthening industrial growth through strategic partnerships. The event, held at the Mövenpick Hotel, was organized in collaboration with various governmental bodies and marked a milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to attract foreign direct investment and enhance healthcare security.
The ceremony saw the signing of significant agreements, including an investment partnership between Unichem Pharmaceuticals Pakistan and China’s Xinxu Group valued at approximately Rs. 10 billion. This partnership will enable local production of critical pharmaceutical raw materials, reducing import dependence and improving domestic supply resilience. Another major agreement involved Lucky Core Group and Chinese partners, expanding industrial cooperation.
The MoUs were formally signed by representatives from Unichem Pharmaceuticals, Xinxu Group, and Lucky Core Group, with Federal Minister Kamal and Dr. Bhatti witnessing the ceremony. The event concluded with a press conference where officials reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to facilitating pharmaceutical investment and strengthening healthcare preparedness, marking a new chapter in the country’s pharmaceutical industrial growth and foreign investment attraction.