08 October 2004	Friday	22 Shaban 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: Pakistan has opposed the Indian rice exporters move aimed at renegotiating the issue of traditional varieties to get the code of practice (CoP) on basmati rice changed.

Well-placed sources told Dawn on Thursday that India has once again raised the so-called traditional varieties issue that has been discussed at length and resolved. "We are not willing to discuss this issue anymore at all and do not agree to their proposal in this regard," the sources said.

Pakistan has already accepted the final draft CoP. This final draft CoP has also been accepted by British Rice Corporation and Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services, the Association of Public Analyst, the Federation of European Rice Millers, the All India Rice Exporters Association and the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan.

"We understand that the Code is for UK consumer protection purposes and therefore while it is the right of origins to define their products, the other issues should be as per UK requirements," added the sources.

It is Pakistan's sovereign right to define its Basmati as an original and historical grower country for Basmati in the world. Pakistan is not prepared to allow any intrusion at all into its sovereign rights. Pakistan has agreed to share Basmati as a geographical indication (GI) with India as agreed bilaterally by both producer countries with the EU.

"We respect this commitment. However this arrangement at EU level does not include any reference to so-called traditional or any other such differentiation at all. We have simply agreed to differentiate Basmati varieties on the basis of origin," the sources said. Pakistan did not define Basmati as so-called traditional or otherwise and considers such references purely an internal matter of India.