ISLAMABAD, June 20: The commerce ministry has sought legal opinion from the law ministry to challenge the Indian government decision of including Pakistan’s super basmati rice in its exportable products list, it is learnt.

The Indian commerce ministry on May 24, 2006 had allowed export of super basmati rice as an evolved (hybrid) variety by amending the export of basmati rice (quality control and inspection) rules, 2003.

"We have sent a summary to the law ministry on Monday to seek their legal opinion for taking our future course of action," a senior official in ministry told Dawn on condition of anonymity. “Once we got the clearance from the law ministry, then we would raise the issue with the Indian authorities,” he added.

A senior official in the ministry of food, agriculture and livestock (Minfal) told this reporter that the super basmati seed was already registered with the ministry more than 15 years ago.

All this was available on record, he said and added that it was not possible for India to register a Pakistani variety on its exportable products list.

The official was of the opinion that if the registration of super basmati was so easy then why India had offered for joint GIs registration of basmati rice.

According to the official, the possible action would be to raise the issue with India bilaterally through diplomatic channels for its early resolution.

If this could not help in resolving the issue, the official said the issue could be then taken to the dispute settlement body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

"We would resist at every forum the formal export and local sale of the super basmati rice in the Indian market," he said.

The Indian agriculture ministry was considering including the basmati variety in its Seed Act, which would completely deprive Pakistan of its exclusive rights on the commodity enjoyed for last two decades.

According to estimates, in case of formal export of super basmati from India, Pakistan is likely to suffer a loss of up to 40 per cent of the world market of super basmati.

According to the source, this seemed a direct Indian attack on Pakistan’s trade and a belligerent move to annex Islamabad’s exclusive indigenously developed authentic super basmati rice.