APSU bans import of Pakistani medicines

KABUL Pharmacists Services Union (APSU) on Sunday announced ban on import of Pakistani manufactured medicines as a protest against what they alleged Islamabad’s sustained support militants’ groups carrying out attacks in Afghanistan.

“In the backdrop of recent terrorist attacks, the traders have decided to stop import of medicines from Pakistan,” Abdul Khaliq Zazai Watandost told reporters here in Kabul.

“No doubt Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was behind recent bloodbath in Kabul. The ban on Pakistani medicine meant to build pressure on Islamabad to stop interfering in Afghanistan’s affairs,” Watandost maintained.

He said Central Asian Countries and others would be approached for importing of medicine in order to manage the shortage of drugs in the country.

He said amount $400 million medicine had been imported from Pakistan annually and its ban would be a huge economic loss to the neighboring country.

Khan Jan Alkozai, deputy director of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI), welcomed the decision and said the ACCI would support the APSU in this regard.

He said Afghanistan imported 40 percent of its required medicines from Pakistan and the ACCI had tried to find the alternative.

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