Pakistan struggles to fill top spot at drug regulator as woes mount for industry

SINGAPORE--Sometimes it must seem to Pakistan's health authorities they can do nothing right in regulating the nation's pharmaceutical industry. The industry and others have pressed the government for the past three years to fill a vacancy in the CEO position of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

The Prime Minister Secretariat had received two recommendations from the DRAP board for the job of CEO, both from the private sector. The board apparently recommended the two despite the opposition of 8 of its members. One of them said the board ignored "highly qualified doctors" in the health department.

This week, the secretariat selected one of the two nominees, Aslam Afghani, a director of Japan's Otsuka Pharmaceutical.

Two Pakistani senators, both former executives of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry, denounced the appointment as a violation of Pakistan law. It seems the law requires the DRAP CEO to an official of the nation's Health Department.

An owner or employee of a pharmaceutical company cannot legally be appointed as the head of DRAP, one of the senators said. The other threatened to take the matter to court to block the appointment if it is not rescinded.

- here's the Business Recorder story
- read more from The Nation