The Ministry of National Health Services has scrapped the vaccine tender for pilgrims and overseas job seekers after a high-level inquiry found severe flaws and financial irregularities in a contract awarded through Border Health Services (BHS). According to Dawn, the ministry will issue a fresh procurement tender within a month, and the existing vaccination setup operated through BHS has been abolished.
Why the Existing Arrangement Was Abolished
The decision follows an inquiry ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif into the procurement of meningococcal meningitis and influenza vaccines under a public-private partnership arrangement. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal confirmed that the current vaccination process for religious pilgrims and overseas job seekers has been halted. Dawn reported that all BHS officials involved in floating the unauthorised tender have been arrested for bypassing the ministry’s oversight.
Kamal said those responsible would be held to account for keeping the ministry in the dark, adding that he would not tolerate any attempt to damage his reputation. Until the ministry’s central procurement committee floats a replacement tender, pilgrims have been directed to arrange their mandatory vaccinations through their travel agents.
Allegations Over Costs and Process
The inquiry was triggered by allegations that the new contract inflated vaccination costs to about Rs4,500 per pilgrim, compared with roughly Rs1,250 per dose under the earlier arrangement. A five-member committee chaired by the Cabinet Division secretary examined the legal basis, rationale and approvals for the contract. It included the director general of the Intelligence Bureau, the chief executive officer of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, the managing director of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and a representative of the Attorney General’s Office.
Seven pharmaceutical companies had also petitioned the Islamabad High Court, alleging serious violations of procurement rules and a lack of transparency. According to Dawn’s earlier reporting, they argued that the opportunity was advertised in only one newspaper rather than on the PPRA website and in at least two widely circulated national dailies, and that this limited competition. At that stage, the health minister and BHS had maintained that all rules were followed.
Parallel Committees and Rule Violations
Official documents collected by the inquiry committee and reviewed by Dawn indicate that BHS officials created parallel committees to avoid federal oversight. On May 9, the health ministry formed an official six-member procurement committee chaired by BHS Director Dr Mir Muhammad Hassan Builo, together with a grievance committee led by the federal director general of health. On June 10, however, BHS unilaterally formed its own procurement committee chaired by Dr Pardeep Kumar and a separate redressal committee led by Dr Shahbaz Ahmed Hashmi, and then floated the tender independently.
A senior ministry official, speaking anonymously, told Dawn that the major violation was the application of PPRA rules to what was structured as a public-private partnership. In his view, the rules of the Public Private Partnership Authority should have governed the process.
How the Model Was Meant to Work
The same official explained the commercial structure. Under the agreement, the private company was to procure the vaccines, and payments were to be deposited into an account of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). Nadra would deduct its charges and distribute the remaining share between BHS and the private company. The official noted that, as designed, not a single rupee had to be spent from the national exchequer.
The Price Debate
Officials offered differing perspectives on the price question. One said the Rs1,250 rate in 2026 was possible only because a company had secured cheaper stock. He pointed out that earlier per-dose charges for the meningitis vaccine were Rs2,555 in 2025, Rs2,244 in 2024, Rs2,476 in 2023 and Rs2,550 in 2022, while influenza vaccines cost Rs1,426 in 2025 and Rs1,670 in 2024.
Another official said the tender would be re-advertised and argued that the seven petitioning firms should be required to offer the Rs1,250 rate they had cited. He added that the vaccine’s maximum retail price is about Rs1,300, even though it had historically been sold for more than Rs2,000. Past uncoordinated procurements, he said, had encouraged the use of fake vaccination certificates, which caused difficulties for pilgrims and embarrassment for the federal government.
Vaccine Tender for Pilgrims: What Happens Next
The ministry’s immediate challenge is to ensure that travellers can obtain mandatory protection without disruption while the new process is completed. Dawn has previously reported that Nadra-linked vaccination certificates were made mandatory for pilgrims from mid-September, and the reissued vaccine tender for pilgrims will need to preserve that verification system while restoring public confidence in how the vaccines are procured.
For travellers, the near-term guidance is to arrange their vaccinations through their travel agents. For the government, the outcome of the new bidding process, and any further action arising from the inquiry, will show whether the procurement flaws exposed at Border Health Services have been resolved.
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