ISLAMABAD: Oilseeds vessels stuck at Karachi port, carrying cargo worth $350 million, have not been released despite a release order issued by the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO), an issue that has seen various government departments pitted against each other.
According to reliable sources, concerned ministries and departments are hesitant to allow the release of the Soybean seeds, which are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), fearing repercussions of such a move in terms of Pakistan international commitments.
On Friday, the FTO had ordered the Ministry of Climate Change to issue a one-time approval for the release and treat it as a special case under Rule 27 of the Biosafety Rules, 2005. But authorities remain hesitant keeping in mind Pakistan’s international commitment to implement the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, signed in 2001 and rectified in 2009.
“We are one of the over 100 non-GMO countries which have signed the agreement. In case we allow the release of a few vessels (of GMO oilseeds) our agriculture exports and trade with the non-GMO countries will be undermined,” said an official at the Ministry of Food Security and Research, requesting anonymity. He added that concerned departments should keep international obligations in mind while deciding the fate of a few vessels. According to him, until there is a policy for GMO products duly approved and in accordance with the spirit of the international agreement signed by the country, it is difficult to deal with the case of imported oilseed.
When contacted, a member of the All Pakistan Solvent Extractors’ Association (APSEA) confirmed that the imported Soybean vessels worth over $350 million have not been released so far. According to him, no reason was being given by the government.
Insiders say there is also some confusion in the text of the FTO order pertaining to exactly what the importers are allowed to do in this case with the GMO products.
Under the existing Biosafety Rules 2005, any commercial import of genetically engineered products for the purposes of food, feed, or processing, requires an approval from the National Biosafety Committee (NBC), an inter-ministerial body with representation from EPA, commerce, food security, health services, climate change and others..
Pakistan is signatory to, and has ratified, various multilateral environmental agreements, conventions and protocols. Consequently, it is mandatory for the state to ensure the implementation of the agreements. Pakistan’s regulations and guidelines for biosafety will also have to show compliance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which Pakistan has ratified.
However, both the government bodies and importers are fully aware that GMOs have been imported. As per experts, there are proper systems of checks and balances in place in countries using GMOs whereas Pakistan did not have a proper mechanism, policy, or the expertise for this.
As per available documents, at least 257 vessels of oilseed have arrived in the country from 2017 to February 2022. The concerned department of the food ministry, the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), has simply been fumigating the vessels to avoid any pest-related risks.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another. It was adopted on 29 January 2000 as a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity and entered into force on 11 September 2003.
