By Ghulam Abbas

MoNFSR Secretary briefs NA’s Standing Committee on progress, confirming a thoroughly probe and will submit its findings shortly
ISLAMABAD: The high-powered committee tasked with investigating the interception of pesticides residues in Pakistani rice consignments in European Union (EU) has completed its findings and will soon submit its report to the Prime Minister’s Office.

The committee was constituted by the Prime Minister to carry out a thorough investigation and submit its findings.

Ali Tahir, Secretary of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MoNFSR), briefed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research on the committee’s progress. He confirmed that the committee has thoroughly examined the matter and will submit its findings shortly.

The committee chaired by the former Federal Secretary Shahid Khan, included key officials from various government intelligence and law enforcement agencies and organizations but unfortunately without any technical experts in codex standards. Members included the Secretary of National Food Security and Research, the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Special Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, the Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), the Secretaries of Agriculture for Punjab and Sindh, as well as senior representatives from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB). This is first investigation of its kind in the world ordered by the premier of Pakistan where the primary task of the non-technical bureaucratic committee was to investigate the technical reasons behind the non-compliance with food safety / codex standards that led to rice interceptions in the EU.

During a meeting on Wednesday, Secretary Tahir informed the Standing Committee that, according to initial findings, at least 72 Pakistani rice consignments were intercepted in the EU due to pesticides contamination above EU standards. However, he noted that the number of interceptions in Pakistani rice was much lower compared to those in Indian rice consignments. The Secretary attributed the interceptions primarily to the indiscriminate use of non-recommended pesticides on rice crop during its cultivation. Several options have been identified to ensure that pesticides are used in accordance with international safety standards.

Surprisingly, the successive federal governments since 1970 after becoming member of Codex Alimentarius Commission has neither established nor promulgated nor implemented federal food safety regulations on import and export of food in Pakistan being fallen within mandate of the Federal Government and appearance of food safety regulations at port in Federal legislative list. The ignorance of the Government is evident from this fact that they are attributing their negligence for law making and put in place requisite infrastructure to the Department of Plant Protection primarily responsible on the protection of plant health, which involves preventing the introduction and spread of pests and diseases that can affect agriculture. Their biosecurity mandate is generally specific to plant protection, which includes regulating the import and export of plant materials to prevent pest infestations. Due to these criminal enquiries, the integrity of Pakistan’s system regarding biosecurity and food safety has been badly discredited and suspected. Even Iran has imposed strict food safety measures on import of rice from Pakistan. Other country is expected to follow similar steps soon.

In addition to the rice issue, the committee also discussed ongoing challenges facing Pakistan’s cotton industry. Secretary Tahir updated the committee on the recommendations made in August 2024 concerning disputes between the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), the All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), and the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA). The Ministry has since held two meetings with stakeholders to address these concerns.The committee was informed that, over the past decade, there had been little to no increase in the Cotton CESS, with only minimal rises. The Ministry has also raised concerns over high taxes with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). A dispute over a 3.4 billion rupee discrepancy in CESS calculations is ongoing, especially in relation to the PCCC’s proposed 30% annual increase in CESS.

Both APTMA and PCGA expressed deep concern about the challenges facing Pakistan’s cotton industry, including high taxes, rising production costs, energy shortages, and the impact of climate change on cotton yields. These issues, they argued, have made Pakistan’s textile sector less competitive. Additionally, both organizations highlighted problems such as poor-quality seeds and frequent power outages that affect both farmers and textile producers.

APTMA and PCGA have called for pro-farmer policies, increased investment in agricultural research, and improved infrastructure to address these challenges. They stressed the importance of coordinated action among all stakeholders, including the government, to ensure the sustainable growth of the cotton industry.

The Chairman of the Committee directed the Ministry to compile a comprehensive report with practical recommendations, considering the concerns of all stakeholders. The Committee also decided to invite representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, FBR, and provincial governments to address the issues facing the cotton sector, which remains vital to Pakistan’s agricultural economy.

The Committee further emphasized the critical role of the agriculture extension program and called for the provincial agriculture departments to prioritize its importance.

In a related development, the Committee re-appointed a Sub-Committee to investigate the sale of fake seeds and the importation of untimely wheat into Pakistan. The Sub-Committee, headed by Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, will continue with its existing composition and terms of reference (TORs).

The meeting was attended by several members of the Standing Committee, including MNA Rasheed Ahmad Khan, MNA Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, MNA Muhammad Mueen Watto, MNA Chaudhary Iftikhar Nazir, MNA Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, MNA Zulfiqar Ali Behan, MNA Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Sheerazi, MNA Musarrat Asif Khawaja, and MNA Keso Mal Kheal Das. Senior officers from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, APTMA, PCGA, Kissan Ittehad, and other relevant departments were also present.

Published Date: November 14, 2024