May 30, 2003	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 27,1424

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ISLAMABAD, May 29: The public sector institutions needed to be strengthened to face the onslaught of multi-national companies (MNCs) in the wake of globalization, Dr Kauser Abdullah Malik, member (Biosciences), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), said.

In his presentation on Genetically Engineered Food, here at the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, on Thursday, he called for early finalizing of bio-safety laws, awaiting government approval for the last three years.

Pakistan is a signatory to the International Bio-safety Protocol, therefore, it is obligatory to finalize the bio-safety laws as early as possible. These guidelines will put in place legal requirements for import, export, safety, transport, sale and handling of genetically engineered seeds, crops and food, besides setting conditions for the researchers.

In the absence of such laws, concerns regarding bio-safety, and bio-ethical and intellectual property rights cannot be protected, Dr Malik said.

He said the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering had prepared a voluntary code of conduct for release of genetically modified (GM) seeds in 1994. In 1998, a national bio-safety expert committee, formed by the government, prepared bio-safety guidelines. From 1999 to 2000, a draft bio-safety guidelines was prepared by a sub-committee, while in 2001, final consultation with all stakeholders was recommended for adoption of the laws.

Dr Malik said, instead of importing GM seeds and varieties, the local sector should be strengthened to develop crop varieties according to the environment.

He said genetic modification technologies were not a solution to hunger and malnutrition, but simply another tool to help develop better plant varieties and seeds, and to protect crops from pests.

Bio-technology is an effective tool for growing high-yield soil-suitable and safe food in the wake of growing population of the world. This option is, specially, more beneficial to the underdeveloped countries, having a large number of hungry and poor people.

“Our farmers are progressive and use new technology with open mind to improve production,” Dr Malik said, adding that they should be educated on the benefits and use of the technology, but the right choice should be left to them. The civil society and the NGOs, he said, had no right to dictate on behalf of the farmers, because they were Westernized and could not understand the intricacies and problems of the farmers.