Ministry of National Food Security and Research and University of Agriculture, Faisalabad in order to strictly observe the biosafety, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, vowed to further strengthen the coordination to arrest the growing pests and insect pathogens in the imported agriculture items causing billion of rupees loss to the national exchequer and posing numerous challenges to human, plants and livestock health, and depleting the environment.

Ministry of National Food Security and Research and University of Agriculture, Faisalabad in order to strictly observe the biosafety, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, vowed to further strengthen the coordination to arrest the growing pests and insect pathogens in the imported agriculture items causing billion of rupees loss to the national exchequer and posing numerous challenges to human, plants and livestock health, and depleting the environment. The pledge was made during a three-member high ranking committee visit to the varsity for the assessment of technical capacity of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. The committee which was constituted by the National Biosafety Committee (NBC), Ministry of National Food Security and Research to examine the present capacity and indicate the loopholes in the befitting implementation of biosafety protocols at an organizational level. Dr Syed Waseem-ul-Hassan Food Security Commissioner and DG Plant Protection heading the committee was flanked by Dr. Syed M. Saqlain Naqvi, Vice Chancellor, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Dr. Tayyab Husnain Director Centre for Excellence in Molecular Biology, Lahore and Assistant Director Plant Protection Mr. Allah Dita Abid. The committee called on UAF Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Zafar and held meeting with Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). The committee also paid visit to Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (CAS-AFS) and participated in a briefing on biosafety and one-health program. Director CAS-AFS Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan briefed the committee about biosafety measures in 12 research labs and other components of his Centre. Addressing the meeting Food Security Commissioner and DG Plant Protection Dr. Syed Waseem-ul-Hassan said that Pakistan as a responsible country was signatory among the 198 countries of the world regarding strict compliance of the International Plant Protection Convention. He said the country is facing problems in the market access due to non-compliance of the convention. He expressed grave concerns on unchecked imported items that he said, bringing obnoxious and notorious pests and other insect pathogens posing new challenges to our agro-exports. He told that the country is exporting 4 million ton of rice but due to non-compliance of SPS protocols, we are losing the market access in the rice importing countries. He said that the country was fighting with 4th generation war as annual import of unchecked agriculture produces of worth 9 billion $ is opening the doors for notorious pests and insects pathogens harming the country in many ways. He underscored the need to bring 900 seed companies working in the country under the law to follow the biosafety guidelines and get them attached with public organizations and academia for endorsement of their field trails. He urged the participants to coordinate with his office whenever the varsity imports or exports any kind of material for strict compliance of the biosafety protocols. He emphasized to work not only for food security but also to ensure food sovereignty by placing such measures for strict compliance of biosafety protocols. UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Zafar told the meeting that the varsity has constituted an institutional biosafety committee and established state of the art BSL2 and BSL3 facilities at campus. He told that students of BS (Hons.) were taking biosafety and biosecurity, and management of infectious waste courses in Microbiology curriculum. He apprised the meeting that an online lab biosafety course for all postgraduate students is been made mandatory to further proceed in their research work. Director CAS-AFS Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan applauded the step being taken by NBC and Ministry of National Food Security and Research in strictly taking care of biosafety measures. He underscored the need to promote such a research culture observing all pre-requisites for conducting of research adding that every individual should be self-compliant of the measures. He told the meeting that UAF after military arrangements, is the only public organization of the country having BSL2 and BSL3 facilities. Dr. Syed M. Saqlain Naqvi, Vice Chancellor, Bacha Khan University Charsadda KPK, said that the universities to fetch government grants are publishing research papers in the impact factor journals. He underscored the need to further deepen the coordination with quarantine department to befittingly meet the challenges of unchecked imports of agricultural produces. Dr. Allah Dita Abid Assistant Director Plant Protection while seeking help from the academia, said that imperial evidence helps the government to policy formation. He underscored the need to maintain a list of local and imported pests. He told that during the current year, putting ban on import of Banana, Tomato and Onion form India, more than 20 billion rupees went to rural area that brought prosperity in the forming community. Director ORIC Prof. Dr. Zahir Ahmad Zahir, Chairman Entomology Prof. Dr. M. Jalal Arif, Dr. Sajjad ur Rehman, Dr. Sultan Habibullah, Dr. Ehsan-ul Haq, Dr. Muhammad Aslam Khan, Dr. Imran Arshad, Dr. Anjum Zia, Dr. Nisar, Dr. Abdul Rashid, Dr Khuram Zai, and Dr. Ahmad Nadeem were also present in the meeting.