KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday directed importers and customs department to nominate expert to assist the court that high level of aflatoxins can remove or finish from betel nuts imported by dozens of importers from Indonesia on several constitutional petitions filed by importers seeking release order of their consignments seized by customs department.
Test report declared that imported betel nuts are infected with high level of aflatoxins as compared to its admissible limit and it is important to point out that such aflatoxins limit in betel nuts consignments is carcinogenic as well as highly hazardous for human consumption. The release of such consignments into Pakistan shall also introduce and spread invasive and alien moulds producing such aflatoxins in the country which are also destructive for domestic, agriculture, natural resources and environment.
During the hearing, Salman Talib Uddin, additional attorney general appeared before the court and produced an test report prepared by Muhammad Sohail Shahzad, deputy director (quarantine) department of plant protection in which he submits that on pursuant to court order dated 18/4/18, the department asked the petitioners to submit application for quarantine inspection, testing and plant protection release order (PPRO)/ biosecurity clearance of their imported betel nuts consignments.
On submission of petitions by the petitioners, the authorized officers of the department made their quarantine inspection, during inspection, the consignments were found contaminated with moulds, the authorized officer of the department took the samples and one portion of the samples were submitted to Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (PCSIR) laboratories complex, Karachi, ministry of science and technology, government of Pakistan for detection and verification of aflatoxin and other poison produced by the invading moulds.
He further submitted that the PCSIR Laboratory test had declared that such betel nuts samples are infected with high level of aflatoxins as compared to its admissible limit and it is important to point out that such aflatoxins limits in betel nuts consignments are carcinogenic as well as highly hazardous for human consumption, the release of such consignments into Pakistan shall also introduce and spread invasive and alien moulds producing such aflatoxins in the country which are also destructive for domestic, agriculture, natural resources and environment, such level of infection and contamination requires deportation or destruction of betel nuts consignments as per rules 13 of Pakistan Plant Quarantine Rules 1967 and guidelines of international plant protection convention.
On a report, Abdul Sattar Pirzada advocate, counsel for importers submitted that importers assured the court that before sue of such betel nuts, high level of aflatoxins will remove or finished, however, additional attorney general argued that such aflatoxins does not remove or finish from such betel nuts, after the hearing, court directed both parties to nominate the experts who assess the court on this point.
