According to Dr. Qaiser Waheed, former chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), the shutdown of the Torkham and Chaman crossings since October 2025 has left trucks loaded with medicines stranded, disrupting deliveries and causing heavy losses for local pharmaceutical companies.
‘The border closure has essentially frozen a market that was vital to our industry,’ Dr. Waheed said. ‘Cash flow for many companies has taken a hit, and the question now is whether Pakistan can still reach its $1 billion export target for FY2026.’
Afghanistan has historically accounted for $150 200 million of Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports, roughly 35% of the country’s total medicine shipments abroad. The ongoing blockade, driven by deteriorating security along the Durand Line, has forced companies to rethink their logistics, with some turning to limited weekly flights between Islamabad and Kabul a solution far from adequate.
‘Had exports continued without interruption, Pakistan could have comfortably reached the $1 billion milestone this year,’ Dr. Waheed added. ‘Including medical devices, surgical instruments, nutraceuticals, and food supplements would have pushed these figures even higher.’
The PPMA veteran noted that Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry had been showing remarkable momentum, with local medicine sales abroad reaching $457 million in FY2025 the fastest growth in two decades and fifth among top export categories. He also highlighted the long term challenge of replacing Afghanistan as a market, as registering products and establishing sales channels in a new country can take four to five years.
Dr. Waheed emphasized that the border closure, while damaging for trade, is understandable from a national security perspective. Meanwhile, other nations like Iran, India, and Bangladesh are reportedly moving to supply medicines to Afghanistan, filling a gap that risks creating a serious public health crisis. Russian medicines could also enter via Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, further diversifying Afghanistan’s sources.
Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector, producing treatments for chronic diseases, diabetes, hypertension, heart conditions, depression, and common ailments such as colds and fever, has been a backbone of the Afghan healthcare system. The sudden disruption underlines the vulnerability of export-dependent industries to geopolitical shifts.
