ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday inaugurated the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority (PAFDA), a new testing and certification body that authorities say will strengthen food safety, public health and export standards across the country.

The authority, launched in Lahore by Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, will oversee testing of pharmaceuticals and other products, providing a new institutional framework to address long-standing gaps in quality control and certification.

“PAFDA will play a vital role in ensuring food safety, quality control, and public health,” Sharif said at the inauguration, according to an official statement.

Punjab officials said the facility houses high-tech laboratories for agriculture, food and drug testing under one roof and is staffed by more than 230 scientists, the majority of them women.

The government says the project will also support exporters by providing domestic testing and certification services, reducing reliance on foreign laboratories.

Sharif said strong and transparent institutions were essential for national credibility and international trade and cited past reforms in forensic science and export oversight as examples of how institutional capacity could improve governance.

The Punjab government said additional laboratory equipment would be added in coming months and that the authority would also expand into areas such as cosmetics, animal feed , and soil testing.

Officials said other Pakistani provinces will also be able to use the authority’s facilities for testing and certification.