MONITORING REPORT LAHORE: The attempt of getting clandestine approval of genetically modified (GM) seeds in violation of the procedure invited fierce resistance from various quarters, forcing the head of the official committee to tender his resignation on Thursday.
According to sources in the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, all discussions, meetings and proceedings for introducing the genetically modified seeds of corn/maize, which is also a food crop, on mass level are going on between the government and representative of influential seed companies secretively. However, other stakeholders such as farmers’ representative bodies, consumer, independent agriculture experts and environmentalists have not been taken into confidence in this regard.
“It’s a deliberate attempt to keep these discussions and proceedings in low profile in order to avoid any outcry by the farmers and conscious citizens,” the sources claimed.
It is to be mentioned here that many countries including India, Australia, UK and other several European countries have not allowed cultivation of the genetically modified corn, despite successive attempts made by multinational companies in recent years.
The sources said that Dr Zafar Khalid, Director, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), who is also co-chair/member of the sub-committee, openly resisted intervention by Monsanto and objected credentials of its report on the large-scale trials of genetically modified corn/maize.
However, the Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad-led sub-committee first announced holding meeting of the committee to review a proposal regarding commercialisation of the genetically modified corn, but later cancelled it abruptly.
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