ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) has gotten a full time chief executive officer (CEO) after almost four years.

The new CEO has been hoping to get World Health Organisation’s (WHO) international accreditation which would enhance world trust in Pakistan’s pharma industry and increase exports.

According to a notification of Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), issued on Feb 11, in pursuance of the Federal Cabinet decision Asim Rauf has been appointed as DrapCEO under Ministry of NHS on contract basis for a period of three years under the Drap Act 2012.

The notification has been sent to Printing Corporation of Pakistan for publication in Gazette of Pakistan.

In 2015, Dr Mohammad Aslam Afghani was appointed as first full time Drap CEO on a contract of three years and a gross salary of Rs1.2 million per month with an annual increment of Rs75,000.

Moreover, travel expenses equal to a Management Position (MP) I officer were also offered to him. Mr Afghani retired on Feb 2, 2018.

The Drap was established under the Drap Act 2012 to provide effective coordination and enforcement of the Drugs Act 1976 and to bring harmony in inter-provincial trade and commerce of therapeutic goods. The act clearly states that no acting CEO may serve for over three months but the authority remained functioned under acting CEO for almost four years.

Initially, Sheikh Akhtar Hussain was appointed as acting CEO and then in December 2018 he was appointed as fulltime CEO by the federal govt but in March 2019 he was removed by the ministry over the charges of fake directorate degree.

Later, Sheikh Akhtar Hussain obtained stay order from Islamabad High Court but stay was vacated in a few hearings.

Then Dr Asim Rauf was appointed as acting CEO and his tenure was extended after every three months.

While talking to Dawn, Dr Rauf said that his primary target is to get WHO’s international accreditation and that is why he was already working on automation of system and had established a paperless environment in the Drap.

“One of my priorities is to increase exports of medicines from Pakistan and for that we will have to build trust of world on our pharma sector. Two firms of Pakistan have already received international accreditation and three laboratories have been enlisted with WHO,” he said.

While replying to a question, Dr Rauf said that getting the WHO’s accreditation for Drap will also ensure quality drugs for the people of Pakistan, which are the top most priority of Drap.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2022