Pakistan Scandalously Becomes Now a GMO State

 Green Watch Monitoring Report

It look like that in a very systematic manner Pakistani officials modified biosafety rules  and bypassed stringent legal procedures to allow the import of controversial  genetically modified (GMO) soybeans from the United States, something which is likely to open the floodgate of health hazards in 240 million populated South Asian country.

Requisite risk evaluations on 47 gene events as mandated under Article 15 of the Cartagena Protocol, particularly concerning Pakistan's local conditions were breached. The decision marks a shift in Pakistan's status from non-GMO to GMO.

The exemption from conducting local risk assessments seems to have been swayed by influential industry figures, reportedly including a member of the ruling party which came into power in early this  year in a disputed elections which Opposition parties blamed were manipulated through forged electoral results. The decision has triggered significant apprehension among a diverse set of stakeholders, including environmentalists, farmers, civil society organizations, consumers, and agricultural specialists.

Recently, Pakistan National Biosafety Committee (NBC), overseen by Secretary Eazaz Aslam Dar from the Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Division, granted licenses to over 42 importers, allowing them to bring in GMO soybeans with the 47 gene events for use in food, feed, and processing (FFP). This approval was reportedly issued without the necessary risk assessments mandated by the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety tailored to local conditions, reports Gohar Ali Khan, correspondent with local newspaper Express Tribune. 

A formal complaint submitted by Muhammad Jawad Advocate to Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif alleges that these licenses were issued based on falsified risk assessment data provided by Dr. Mazhar Iqbal, a faculty member in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Quaid-e-Azam University. Dr. Iqbal purportedly charged Rs700,000 from each importer to facilitate applications for over 45 solvent extraction importers to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), operating under a revised NBC Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). This complaint raises troubling questions regarding irregularities, implying that senior officials may have prioritized the licensing process undeservedly, says the report. 

Dr. Farzana Altaf Shah, Director General of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), has previously pushed for a strict commitment to Rule 14(2) of the Pakistan Biosafety Rules and Article 15 of the Cartagena Protocol, which both emphasize the necessity for thorough risk assessments aligned with local conditions prior to the approval of any GMO products. According to the protocol, these assessments are vital to validate that GMO imports are safe for human health, the ecosystem, and local biodiversity.

However, amendments recently made to the Pakistan Biosafety Rules, particularly Rules 8, 14, and 20 established in 2005, have removed the requirement for local risk assessments, thereby allowing for GMO soybean imports to proceed based solely on risk data from their country of origin, which may have vastly different conditions compared to those in Pakistan. Allegations have surfaced suggesting that this regulatory alteration was rapidly implemented by Pak-EPA DG, supposedly without the agreement of NBC members, who are designated to review biosafety regulations and recommend amendments to the government based on global treaty guidelines, during the caretaker government period, it adds.

The caretaker government's Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC), which has been formed in a manner that contradicts the Constitution and Section 230 of the Election Act of 2017, endorsed these modifications, resulting in the issuance of a statutory regulatory order (SRO No 45(1)/2024) on January 18, 2024. Section 230 limits the caretaker government to regular administrative duties, barring significant policy decisions that could have enduring repercussions on agriculture and public health, it continues.

Documents indicate that the complainant has accused Pak-EPA DG and Dr. Zaigham Abbas, Director of NEQS at Pak-EPA, of potentially being swayed by personal interests. Influential groups, including the All Pakistan Solvent Extraction Association (APSEA), are alleged to have actively supported these regulatory changes, it says.

Following this change in regulations, Dr. Farzana Altaf Shah convened the 27th meeting of the TAC, during which she presented updated SOPs for GMO imports that were promptly approved. Under these new protocols, importers and developers are now empowered to seek GMO import licenses through Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBC). As the Chairperson of the TAC, Shah approved over 40 applications for GMO soybean imports. These applications were handled exclusively by Dr. Mazhar Iqbal at Quaid-e-Azam University, despite lacking proper signatures and approvals from other necessary QAU-IBC members, including the Department Head, Dean of Social Sciences, representative from the Economics Department, and a civil society representative, all of which are required according to Rule 8 of the Pakistan Biosafety Rules, 2005, according to Express Tribune.

The swift handling of these risk assessments, which typically demand years of research, has generated doubts about the credibility and authenticity of the approvals granted. Allegations have surfaced suggesting that officials from other departments may have aided the regulatory modifications, the report concludes. 

It is anticipated that approximately $1.5 billion in foreign exchange will be allocated for these potentially risky GMO soybean imports, which may also provoke protests from farmers concerned about the implications for crop diversity and soil health.