Pakistan: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual

In Pakistan, a developed biotechnology and seed regulatory structure is in place to facilitate the introduction of new technologies in the country. Pakistan’s commercialization of GE (genetically engineered) crops remains limited to two cotton events introduced in 2010. The 2005 Federal Biosafety Rules, which approve applications to introduce new technologies, resumed in 2016 after a four-year hiatus. Pakistan introduced new seed rules in 2016 that will facilitate the private sector’s role, new rules for an intellectual property regulation called Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) Rules 2018, and a process of establishing a registry to enforce these regulations. Imported GE products require food, feed, and processing (FFP) approval under the Biosafety Rules and Guidelines 2005 in order to meet new import requirements. Pakistan is a significant importer, exporter, and producer (cotton) of biotechnology crops. 

Pakistan: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual