Karachi: The sitting government of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Prime Minister Imran Khan like the previous regimes of Nawaz Sharif and Zardari is also giving a covert favor to the powerful lobby that want to introduce genetically modified organism (GMO) seeds in Pakistan, which would prove to be a death knell for the agricultural sector of Pakistan and also a grave threat to our national food security, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) President Altaf Shakoor.
In a statement here Saturday, he said the whole world is retruning back to the natural methods of organic farming, but the successive governments in Pakistan have taken care of the interests of the powerful GMO lobby and controversial laws are passed to pave way for a massive usage of the GMO seeds in Pakistan. He said it is being reported that the government officials at high level are meeting with GMO lobby and assuring them to give them a dominant share in the Pakistani seed market. He said all this dark conspiracy is being hatched silently and the mainstream media is being kept away from these parleys. He said the situation is worrisome and it seems that the vested interests through the sitting rulers may deal a deadly blow to the agriculture sector of Pakistan.
Altaf Shakoor said the GMO seeds have already devastated our cotton crop. He said traditional seeds of Pakistan are giving a good yield and we do not need the GMO products, but the vested interests want a massive entry of these killing seeds to Pakistan, which is very serious matter and the concerned quarters should take immediate notice of this situation as it is the matter of our national food security.
PDP President said in past the governments of PPP and PML-N had facilitated the GMO lobby and now the sitting government of PTI is also sadly following suit. He said more and more countries in the world are now throwing out the GMO seeds but the Pakistani rulers seem bent to embrace this poison. Expressing concern over media reports that a delegation representing 65 US companies recently visited Pakistan and reportedly tried to ensure introduction of GMO corn seeds in Pakistan. He said we are not against biotechnology but we also want to ensure our food security.
Altaf Shakoor demanded from the government to tell the nation about its policy regarding the GMO seeds so that unnecessary suspicions are quelled. He asked that Pakistani scientists, agro experts, food security lobbyists, environmentalists and patriotic politicians should join hands to foil the nefarious designs against our agriculture and food security. He said the PDP has been demanding for long to chalk out the national policies in the national interest to secure the future of our coming generations. He said agriculture is the backbone of our economy and it must be safeguarded from the foreign influences on top most priority.
