Pakistan’s Pharmaceutical Exports to Afghanistan Disrupted, Exacerbating Industry Losses

DID Press: Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports fell by 25.53% to $73.30 million in the first quarter of the 2026–2027 fiscal year, a decline that industry representatives say is largely attributable to disruptions in trade with Afghanistan, one of the main markets for Pakistani medicines.

According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the value of Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports also fell by 30.26% in the 2025–2026 fiscal year, dropping from $457.45 million to $319 million.

The volume of pharmaceutical exports declined by 31.4% in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, falling from approximately 23,924 tonnes to 16,410 tonnes.

Afghanistan was previously one of the major markets for Pakistani medicines. According to data from the pharmaceutical portal of Pakistan’s Trade Development Authority, Pakistan exported approximately $155.68 million worth of medicines to Afghanistan in the 2024–2025 fiscal year, accounting for nearly 34% of its total pharmaceutical exports that year.

According to Dawn, Tauqir-ul-Haq, a former chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association, said the suspension of trade with Afghanistan had caused substantial losses for pharmaceutical companies and reduced government revenues. He added that Afghan patients had also been affected, forcing them to obtain more expensive medicines.

He said the association had raised the issue of resuming pharmaceutical exports to Afghanistan with the Pakistani government. Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s planning minister, had reportedly promised to discuss the matter with relevant officials. However, no serious follow-up has taken place so far, according to Tauqir-ul-Haq.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s exports of surgical goods and medical equipment—which are not included in pharmaceutical export figures—increased by 8.8% to $121 million in the first quarter of the 2026–2027 fiscal year.