KARACHI, March 8: The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has postponed ‘Biryani Festival’ as a mark of protest against the delay “caused by Pakistan’s Commercial Secretary to South Africa.” The festival was to begin during Super Six round of the cricket World Cup-2003.

Briefing newsmen about the factors that led to postponement of biryani festival, the chairman of the REAP Abdul Rahim Janoo on Saturday held Pakistan’s commercial secretary to Johannesburg and the EPB responsible for the fiasco.

“Our last four months efforts have gone down the drain due to irresponsible attitude and non-cooperation from the commercial secretary and the EPB,” lamented the REAP chief who was flanked by his managing committee members.

“Instead of extending cooperation and facilitating our efforts,” Janoo said “the commercial secretary, through a letter dated March 5, 2003, has advised REAP not to hold Biryani Festival as it would be counter-productive.”

He said firstly the REAP had never sought his advice and secondly when the Ministry for Commerce had given go-ahead then why he did not cooperate and kept the REAP in dark till the eleventh hour.

On the other hand, Abdul Rahim Janoo said, the REAP kept the chairman and vice chairman of EPB informed about the developments but to no avail. He warned that if the matter was not amicably resolved and all the costs incurred by the rice exporters are not paid by the EPB the REAP in future will boycott all functions of the bureau.

He urged the federal minister for commerce to constitute a committee and penalize or even remove all those who are found responsible for such an ugly development.

He said South Africa is having one of the highest per capita income and could prove to be a valuable market for basmati rice.

Even now the REAP could organize and hold Biryani Festival but it should be in a dignified way and this was not possible without removing the incumbent Commercial Secretary from Johannesburg.

Giving some of the details about the Biryani Festival, he said the REAP has hired the services of Karachi Restaurant in South Africa for cooking, packing and distribution of cooked biryani. Its free distribution was to be made during the Super sixes matches. Besides, the REAP has also arranged to distribute un-cooked basmati rice to the dignitaries participating in these matches.

Janoo said that the REAP has also hired stalls at major Super Markets for free distribution of biryani and a huge cost had already been paid on this account.