Overview

• Pakistan halted all trade with India on April 24 in retaliation for India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam attack.
• The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has activated emergency measures to mitigate disruptions in pharmaceutical supplies, drawing on contingency frameworks from the 2019 Pulwama crisis.
• Pakistan relies on India for 30–40% of its pharmaceutical raw materials, including critical vaccines, cancer therapies, and other biological products.
• Authorities are exploring alternative suppliers in China, Russia, and Europe, but industry leaders warn of potential shortages and have appealed for exemptions to the trade ban.
• Concerns persist over regulatory uncertainty and reliance on black market channels, which lack quality assurance and pose risks to supply security.