March 5, 2026—The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination, facilitated a high-level meeting at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, focusing on the newly drafted biosafety rules and GM soybean meal Import for Food, Feed, or Processing (FFP). The agenda covered discussion on amendments in the Pakistan Biosafety Rules 2005 (Amended 2024), issuance of licenses for GMO imports for FFP, and case discussions on GM soybean meal import for food, feed or for processing (FFP).
The meeting was attended by prominent dignitaries, including Syed Abrar Hussain (Director General, Pak EPA), Dr. Kausar Abdullah Malik (Professor, Forman Christian College University, Lahore), Dr. Moazur Rahman (Director, CEMB), Dr. Muhammad Rauf (NPM Pak-BCH, Pak EPA), Dr. Usman Khalid Chaudhry (Deputy Director, Pak EPA), Dr. Arslan Asim (Assistant Director, Pak EPA), Mr. Israr Ahmad (Assistant Director, Pak EPA), Dr. Bushra Rashid (Professor CEMB), Dr. Abdul Qayyum Rao(Professor CEMB), Dr. Allah Bakhsh (Associate Professor CEMB), and Prof. Dr. Ali Raza Awan (UVAS).
Several experts also joined the session online, including Dr. Nasir A. Saeed (Director, National Institute of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad), Dr. Shaukat Ali (Director, National Institute of Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, Islamabad), Dr. Shahid Mansoor (Ex-Director, NIBGE Faisalabad), and Dr. Muhammad Asif (DCS NIBGE).
This collaborative engagement reinforces Pakistan’s commitment to biosafety compliance, scientific evaluation, and regulatory oversight for GM crops and their safe integration into the food and feed supply chain.