ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal government will not hold a monopoly on the import of coronavirus vaccines and provinces will be free to make arrangements for themselves subject to the approval of the country’s drug regulatory body, federal minister for planning, development and special initiatives, Asad Umar told local media on Saturday.
Under Pakistan’s constitution, the department of health is devolved to the provinces. On Saturday, the country’s health chief told Arab News the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) had approved a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and a Swedish multinational pharma company, AstraZeneca, for emergency use.
Umar, who serves as chief of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) which oversees Pakistan’s coronavirus response, told Geo News that the NCOC had adopted the policy that the federal government “shall not have the monopoly to import anti-coronavirus vaccines.”
“Provinces and private entities including hospitals have been allowed to import the vaccines that are approved by Drap,” he said.
Umar said the AstraZeneca vaccine may be imported by the Sindh government if the latter could procure supplies, and said he encouraged “all provincial governments to import the vaccine from abroad.”
According to media reports, a Karachi-based pharmaceutical company, which has applied for registration with DRAP, will import the vaccine for the private sector, though its prices will be fixed by the government.
Umar said in a tweet on Sunday that 300,000 Pakistani frontline workers had been registered for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Pakistan is currently battling its second wave of the virus and recorded 2,521 new infections on Sunday, with 43 deaths, an increase from last week.
Last month, the government said it would purchase 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China’s Sinopharm, which are expected to arrive in the first quarter of the year.
Pakistan's provinces are free to import their own COVID-19 vaccines — Asad Umar
https://arab.news/5gy2d
Pakistan's provinces are free to import their own COVID-19 vaccines — Asad Umar
- Pakistan’s constitution devolves health to its provinces
- On Saturday, Pakistan’s drug regulatory authority approved a COVID-19 vaccine by Astrazeneca for emergency use
Pakistan cricket chief courts investors at UK roadshow as T20 league eyes expansion
- Mohsin Naqvi says the board is investing in infrastructure and high-performance training centers for players
- PSL features six teams and is expected to expand to eight, with its next edition scheduled for April and May
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday the board was investing in cricket infrastructure and high-performance training centers as he aimed to attract investors from the United Kingdom to buy Pakistan Super League (PSL) teams.
The remarks came during a PSL roadshow at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, which brought together investors, franchise representatives and league officials to showcase the league’s commitment to global expansion, strategic partnerships and world-class entertainment.
PSL is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket league, featuring six city-based teams competing for the title each year. The tournament’s 11th edition is expected to take place in April and May next year.
PCB has announced plans to expand the league by adding two new franchises this year, increasing the total number of teams to eight. The board said in a statement earlier this year it had already received “significant interest” from potential ownership groups in the UK for the two new teams.
“So, I will tell one thing to the investors, that we are not spending only money on the infrastructure, but also on the high-performance centers,” Naqvi said while speaking to the participants.
He highlighted that the PCB had recently renovated the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore while the renovation of the National Stadium in Karachi was halfway done.
“We are building a new stadium in Islamabad ... [which will be] one of the best stadiums in Pakistan,” he added. “We are targeting Abbottabad. We are taking over Muzaffarabad stadium [in Azad Kashmir] also.”
The PSL roadshow aims to offer investors and cricket lovers an immersive introduction to the league, its commercial ecosystem and the strategic vision driving its next phase of growth.
Within a span of 10 years, PSL has competed for viewership with some of the most prominent cricket leagues around the world, including the Indian Premier League, the Big Bash League, the Hundred, and the Caribbean Premier League, among others.
