ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Minister for Science and Technology Senator Syed Shibli Faraz has said that in the backdrop of the COVID-19 situation it has become more important to focus on indigenous solutions, and added that we need to work on war footing to achieve the goal of self-reliance and import substitution in the pharmaceutical industry.
In a meeting with CEOs of top Pharmaceuticals Industries in Islamabad on Monday, the minister said that vaccine manufacturing is a project of national importance, especially in the current context.
Shibli Faraz said that the Ministry of Science and Technology aims at extending the full support of the government for technological advancement and quality manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry.
Moreover, the minister said that we need to strengthen Research and Development (R&D) for long-term sustainability.
For this, he intends to create R&D fund for emerging portfolios to strengthen research in the Pharmaceutical industry pertinently on Biotechnology and Nanotechnology.
Thus, the Ministry of Science and Technology intends to become a facilitator and enabler to the Pharmaceutical industry in achieving the goal of development and advancement in the field of Science and Technology, he said.
Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhary (Coordinator General COMSTECH) was also part of the meeting.
