The News international, Karachi, Monday, Juby 20, 2026

NATIONAL 3


Cancer patients suffer. as 40 drugs’
approval remains pending

By M Waqar Bhatt -   . federal government has yet “cervical, kidney, bladder, storm ing lif

cancer has been unable to canbesodinthecountry. ~ cines awaiting final govemment openem and Fosfomycin, Ket- 35 newly registered medicines,
notification . amine for ansesthesia, a3 well while he, DRAP and the Minks- emment forfind approval,
The pending list also as vaccines, radiology contrast’ try of National Health Services. = The matter was subse-}daily inflation, The taxi ring-fenced Petroleum Price

obtain the Lifesaving immuno- . Cancer specialists say her approval for price
therapy drug despite its regis. case reflects the plight of thou

fethreatening
to notify its maximum retail ach, skin and head and neck Methyldopa for hypertension

blood clots, legilly available to patients.’ © feed by the Drug Pricing Commit-

Pakistan needs a.
new Petrol Model


Comment __- Anyonecancheck it, -:
By Dr Farrukh Saleem           Step two: A buffer fund.
Thirty daily prices averaged

He said the federal gover  tee between December 2024 and  The Petroleum Minister {nto one Monthly Reference
ISLAMABAD. A young woman price, amandatory requirement cancers. However, it sonly one during pregnancy, broadspee- ment had already approved June 2005 and hater endorsed by | has announced daily price Price (MRP). When inter.
battling triple negative breast. before any registered medicine of dozens of important medi- trum antibiotics including Mer- prices for an earlier batch of the DRAP Policy Board before | fixing. Good intention. national prices fall below

being refrred to the fcderal gov- | Wrong design. Wrong

design what consumers are paying,
because daily volatility is the difference flows into a

tration in Pakistan because itis sands of Pakistani patients includes advanced cancer agents, electrolyte solutions were now trying to persuede que  quently considered by the Cab- | driver. The bus operator. The Stabilisation Fund (PPSF).

among 40 new medicines whose who cannot access newly reg- medicines such as nivolumab, and other critical medicines. the Cabinet Committee and

inet Commitice, which decided | school van driver. None of When prices spike, the furvd

prkvs have yet to be approved istered cancer medicines and irinotecan, and dasatinib, usedinintensive care unitsand federal | cabinet to approve the that the ministers for finance | them can price their services absorbs the shock. Not the
40 medicines.       and health would brief the|ifpetrol changes every mom consumer.

by the federal government, other essential therapies, forc- alongside several other essen emergency departments.
leaving thousands of patients ing many families to arrange tat    Hes,         -

and  medicines.

pembrolizumab after con- guarantee of quality, storage than 35 million people living approval of the pending medi lifesaving medicines that have’ the federal government.

ventional treatment options conditions or authenticity,

‘with diabetes, Adslimumab for cines, He clarified that the issue been registered but cannot - The price approval pro-

cherap!                       Federal Minister forNationl = “The issue Is not about Prime Minister before resub-[ ing. That is institutionalised     Step three: One price for

dependent on costly smuggled costly personal imports or buy     ‘Among them are Humador  Health Services Syed Mustafa increasing the prices of med- mitting the case. The prices/Inflation. Wrong design a month. The pump price
unregistered              medicines through informal insulin for diabetes manages Kamal said the government was icines already available in the can only be notified after| because daily calculation ir notified once per month,
‘The patient was prescribed channels where there is no ment in a county with more making every effort to secure market. These are entirely new receiving final approval from | without a buffer means daily Th

¢ taxi driver knows his
hrough.              fuel cost for thirty days,
Pakistan rust have a The bus operator can print

failed. Although the medicine  Pembrolizumab, one of the autoimmune diseases, recom wasnet anincrease inthe prices be sold until their prices are cess is currerdly handled by a/ buffer. No buffer means a ticket. The school van
has been registered by the world's kading immunotherapy binant Factor VIII for haeme- of medicines already available approved," the minister said, Cabinet Committee headed by [no consumer protection. driver can set a monthly

Drug Regulatory Authority of medicines, is approved interna- philia A, Carbidopa-Levodopa in the market but the fixation
for Parkinson's disease, Dab- of prices for newly registered whose doctors prescribe these Aurangzeb, Initially comprising | absorbs everything. Every

Pakistan (DRAP), it cannot be tionally or treating more than 20

Te maintained that patients Finance MGnister Muhammad

legally marketed because the cancers, including lung, breast, fgatran and Heparin for prevent- products so they could become medicines often have no option. the ministers for finance, health


PAKISTAN AERONAUTICAL COMPLEX, KAMRA
(MIRAGE REBUILD FACTORY)

fe eid eit

1.. Sealed tender is invited from NTN ‘and Sales Tax Registered firms for
procurement of following stores/items. Tenders are to be addressed to Officer
Incharge Local Purchase MRF, PAC Kamra Distt Attock and must be deposited
before 1000 Hrsondate ofopening mentioned as under:

i. Procurement of Tonners (All types) ..

ii, Procurement of MT Filters (All types)

iii, Procurement of Paints (All types) ©

iv. Procurement of Cleaning | Maleric   :

v. Procurement of Paints :         ™

vi. Procurement of Safety Items...

For further details please visit PPRA website |
www.ppra.org.pk and PAC website

www.pac.org.pk

2. For further details please visit PPRA website www.ppra.org.pk and PAC website

www. pac.org. pk, _

) MRE/Log/25-26

Annual Closed
Framework:
Agreement:

: At 1100 Hrs
on 06-08-2026

DIRECTOR LOGISTICS
MRF PACB KAMRA DISTT ATTOCK

PID(1)522/26
Directorate of Loaistics MRF. PAC Kamra             Oe

AERONAUTICAL COMPLEX’                gf
EXCELLENCE IN AVIATION       pn
www.9a¢.0rg.pk.              nl

PAKISTAN
A SYMBOL OF

@Q


| Government of Pakistan’

MINISTRY, OF, INTERIOR.
—— ‘JOB OPPORTUNITIES —_

The [stamabad Capt Territory Potice invites applications from qualified and experienced individuals through
an open compelitive process for the following positions. These posts are non-transferable and purely ona
contractual basis under the project titled “Expansion of Safe City Islamabad”, The details are as follows: +

"Deputy Executive;
. 1. Officer
{Software)(PPS-08)

* 16 years of education in

Assistant Executive                 ete tee eve:    :
Officer (TratficstTS)                    + Traini in TTS, atc cont

+ PPSON *                   systems, oF signal optimization
‘    .                     ‘shalt be prefered,      vo


* Candidates shall have to produce following original certificates/documents at the time of interview:
“ a) Academic Certificates (HEC verified) :
_b) CNIC Issued by NADRA
“¢) Professional Experience Certificates

... Applicants should apply only through the online portal al httpsiinpftas.pkv and submit the application along
with the online payment of Rs. 2,000 nolater than 31st July, 2026.

. By hand,  incomplete, received after losing date or theough courierfemall application will not be accepted
Jentertained.

3.  " Governmentemployees who meet the eligibility criteria may apply through proper channel,
“4, ,. Only shortlisted candidate's willbe called for Interviews, «
. NoTADA shall be admissible for interview.
Candidates shall be informed about updates through application porta/SMS/email,’
Safe City, Islamabad, reserves the fights lo modify’cancel the number of posts, advertisement recruitment
atany stage.

Forfurtherintormetion’query, the candidates can contact 051-9001515

PROJECT DIRECTOR
Expansion of Safe City
Istamabad -

but to search for them through and commerce, the committee
informal channels.        ~ Wag later expanded to include
“Families arrange these Ube ministers for housing and
medicines at any cost because works, climate change and
they are essential for their environmental coordination,
loved ones, The real concer and defence production before
is that nobody knows whether recommendations are for-
these smugghed or unregistered warded to the federal cabinet.
products are genuine, prop- Pakistan Chemists and
erly stored or even effective. Druggists Association Chair-
Patients deserve access to quale man Abdul Samad Buddani
ity-assured medicines through said patients were moving
legal channels,” hesaid. ©

of the 40 medicines were final. licensed pharmacies.

The Pakistani consumer fee. The household can
write a budget. Look closer:

day. Wrong design because
it uses the same formula
with higher frequency which
will produce a compro-
mised price 365 times a year
instead of 52 times a year.

‘This model is LMF-compat-
ible —- because it protects
revenue without sacrific-
ing the consumer. That {s
the model. A model that
protects the Pakistani con-

from pillar to post in search of | plus standard freight, plus
According to DRAP, recom- medicines that should already | port charges, converted at
mendations for fixing the prices have been available through| the State Bank rate, Pub-

Here is what a real model
lookslike . . -

Three steps, Step one:
Daily transparency. Every
morning at $:00am, Ogra
publishes one number. The
previous day's Platts price,

sumer without distorting
market pricing. A model
built on an independent
benchmark. A model with
a stabilisation buffer. A
model that separates trans-
parency from volatility. A
model that converts dis-
cretion Into arithmetic, A
model with one predictable
lished by Ogra. Verifiable. price each month.


Long March spirit: a force
behind modern C