The Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research on Thursday grilled the Ministry over prolonged administrative lapses, repeated violations in agriculture exports, and negligence in handling critical assets, while also scrutinizing the draft National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority Bill.
Chaired by Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan, the Committee expressed alarm over the post of Director General (DG) remaining vacant for nine months. The Secretary informed that three DGs had earlier been removed over allegations of serious irregularities—one retired and two terminated. Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, however, cautioned that such scandals “cannot be the act of one individual alone” and insisted that the inquiry officers should also be summoned.
The Committee came down hard on the Food Ministry for repeated violations of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in exports, particularly mango shipments to Iran. The Chairman questioned the Secretary’s role, warning that failure to implement Senate recommendations casts doubt on the ministry’s ability to function. He also raised concern over a recent EU report on food exports, asking who would be held accountable.
On the proposed Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority Bill, Mandviwalla called for direct consultation with export associations and insisted on clause-by-clause review to safeguard exporters’ interests. The Chairman noted that exporters had even been asked to furnish five-year records following a cipher from Italy, reflecting excessive pressure on the sector.
Senator Aimal Wali Khan questioned testing mechanisms for rice exports and raised alarms about inadequate quarantine practices for seeds, plants, and animals. The Secretary responded that quarantine facilities operate on public–private partnerships and clarified that live animal imports and exports had been banned since 2014, with exceptions made under special permissions.
The Committee also flagged the decay of non-operational aircraft meant for countering local crop attacks. “These planes are lying idle at airports in a deteriorated state,” Mandviwalla said. The Chairman announced that the next meeting would be held in Karachi, where senators would conduct an on-site inspection of the grounded fleet.
