ISLAMABAD: Government has decided to liberalise the regulatory framework for imports of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by approving major amendments to the Pakistan Biosafety Rules 2005.
The proposed changes were recommended for cabinet approval during a meeting of the National Biosafety Committee (NBC) convened by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination. The amendments aim to simplify licensing procedures and facilitate laboratory research in universities and the private sector.
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The meeting was chaired by the secretary of the ministry and attended by senior officials, including the director general of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), technical experts and members of the country’s biosafety regulatory framework.
According to the ministry’s spokesperson, the reforms are expected to have significant implications for Pakistan’s edible oil and poultry sectors, which rely heavily on imported genetically modified soybean and canola for food, feed and industrial processing.
One of the key changes is the removal of the “sunset clause” imposed in 2024 that allowed GMO imports only until Jan 17, 2027. Under the proposed amendments, imports of GMO grains such as soybean and canola will continue without a cut-off date, the official said.
The revised rules also formally recognise new gene-editing technologies and grant greater autonomy to Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) at universities and private research institutions to approve student-based laboratory research projects.
Pakistan’s biosafety regime currently operates through a multi-tier committee system to ensure compliance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The amendments seek to streamline the structure and decision-making powers of these committees to ensure faster approvals and reduce delays.
Another major reform relates to the licensing process for GMO grain imports. Under the new framework, multinational biotechnology companies will be allowed to directly apply for licences for specific GMO events. Once approved by the NBC, the licences will be published on the Pak-EPA website, enabling private importers to import approved GMO grains without seeking separate licences, the ministry’s spokesperson added.
Officials at Pak-EPA believe the move will reduce the cost of doing business and encourage investment in the edible oil extraction and animal feed sectors.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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