PM aide seeks concrete pharma park blueprint

Facility vital for supporting pharmaceutical SMEs, creating conducive environment

ISLAMABAD:

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan has instructed Smeda to come up with a detailed plan and framework for establishing a pharma park in Islamabad, noting that such a facility is essential for supporting pharmaceutical SMEs and creating a conducive environment for growth, innovation and quality enhancement.

The PM aide chaired a follow-up meeting with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) on Saturday. It was held a day after detailed interaction with the SMEs clustre of Rawalpindi and the president of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), where pharmaceutical SMEs highlighted the challenges and the need for structured government support.

"SMEs have enormous potential. What they need is a proper platform and institutional support to scale up and contribute more effectively to the national economy," Khan emphasised during Saturday's meeting. "Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's vision places SMEs at the centre of economic revival, job creation and export growth."

He underscored the importance of supporting women entrepreneurship, directing Smeda to expand its facilitation programmes, training initiatives and outreach efforts to ensure greater participation of women in the business landscape.