Muhammad Luqman

In a bid to ensure the availability of safe, high-quality food, agricultural inputs and medicines, the Punjab government has decided to bring all 23 testing laboratories of the food, agriculture and health departments under the unified command of the newly established Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drugs Authority (PAFDA).

“During the first phase of the plan, all laboratories of the allied departments will be acquired and upgraded in line with international standards, besides obtaining accreditation from national and international standards organisations,” said Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, Director General of the PAFDA.

In an interview with Wealth Pakistan, he said PAFDA would also set up a central testing laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to serve multiple sectors of the economy simultaneously. He expressed hope that all testing and regulatory wings of the authority would become fully operational by early next year.

“By 2035, PAFDA will be a globally recognised conformance and compliance authority in food, pharmaceuticals, agri-inputs, feed and cosmetics—unlocking the country’s export growth, reducing foreign testing expenditures and protecting public health,” Dr Talat Naseer Pasha said.

He added that the major expected outcomes include safer products for consumers, reduced foreign exchange leakage, faster market access for exporters through internationally accepted certifications and a strengthened applied research ecosystem for academia and industry.

The PAFDA chief noted that Pakistan currently faces serious challenges in ensuring safe food, effective pharmaceuticals and compliant agricultural inputs. “Unsafe and adulterated food alone severely impacts public health, including malnutrition, costing Pakistan US$7.6 billion every year,” he warned.

He further stated that exporters spend tens of millions of dollars annually on compliance testing abroad, putting pressure on foreign exchange reserves. Fragmented infrastructure, he said, has resulted in inefficiencies and limited international recognition, while malnutrition, foodborne illnesses and substandard imports continue to undermine public health.

Dr Talat Naseer Pasha explained that PAFDA’s mandate includes testing and conformance certification across agri-inputs, soil, food, feed, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biologics, medical devices and genomics—including plant and animal genomics, nutrigenomics, pharmacogenetics and nutrigenetics. He added that the authority is being developed with reference to regional and international benchmark institutions such as the Dubai Municipality Lab, China’s CNAS and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

He said PAFDA would serve as Punjab’s flagship project, supporting national growth through voluntary collaboration and globally recognised standards. Discussing future initiatives, he said the authority would establish genomics services aimed at strengthening consumer safety and accelerating export approvals. “A phased build-out will ensure international acceptance and scalable uptake by healthcare, food and agriculture value chains,” he noted.

He added that a bioequivalence studies facility would also be developed to help local pharmaceutical manufacturers demonstrate therapeutic equivalence to global standards domestically, reducing reliance on foreign laboratories. PAFDA will further establish state-of-the-art testing facilities for surgical instruments as well as the leather and textile sectors.

Dr Talat Naseer Pasha said all PAFDA laboratory processes would align with global certification institutions such as the USFDA, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).

Experts have welcomed the establishment of PAFDA as a positive development for Pakistan’s economy, expressing hope it will mirror the testing systems of developed countries. “Hopefully, it will ensure that the people of Pakistan receive safe food and pure medicines, while reducing adulteration in agricultural inputs,” said Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik, leading scientist and former interim federal minister for food security and research.

Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, he said PAFDA has the expertise and facilities required to effectively execute its mandate. Dr Kausar Abdullah added that the authority’s takeover of existing laboratories would help ensure these facilities are used to their full potential and serve the purposes for which they were originally established.

Credit: INP-WealthPk