'Pak pharma companies withholding $430,000 payment to Indian exporters'

New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) Pakistani pharmaceutical importers are holding back payments of $430,000 to Indian Exporters for pharmaceutical products exported to Pakistan from April-December 2021, the government told Parliament on Thursday.

"As per available records, India has exported $203.68 million worth of pharmaceutical products to Pakistan from April 2021-December 2021. Some instances of non-payment of dues to Indian exporters of pharmaceutical products by Pakistani importers have been brought to our notice. As per the data available, the total amount of dues unpaid to Indian exporters is around $430,000," External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

Responding to the query of BJP member Subramanian Swamy who had had asked whether some pharmaceutical companies and suppliers supplied pharmaceutical items to Pakistan and if they have not been paid for the goods exported to Pakistan, he said that the matter of unpaid dues has been taken up with the relevant authorities in Pakistan through the High Commission of India in Islamabad but the Pakistani side are yet to revert on the issue.