KARACHI: The controversy surrounding changes in revised phytosanitary import protocols for the import of betel nuts from Indonesia took a dramatic turn on Monday as the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) suspended the Plant Protection Adviser and Director General (DPP), Dr Attaullah Khan, along with two senior officials of the Department of Plant Protection on the instruction of prime minister of Pakistan.
Those suspended include Ex-Director Technical (Quarantine) Dr Muhammad Basit, Mr. Muhammad Umar Rathore, Entomologist Quarantine, Mr. Tayyab Walayat, Entomologist. The action was taken a day after submission of a preliminary report detailing administrative resistance, internal discord, and alleged irregularities committed by these officers within the department without any lawful authority and collusively despite clear instruction from MoNFSR and the prime minister for shifting biosecurity clearance of importable betel nut on Pakistan Single Window-IRMS.
As a result of the suspensions, the DPP has effectively been left headless and without the required technical leadership at a time when sensitive phytosanitary reforms and international trade coordination are underway.
The preliminary report, submitted on December 22, 2025 followed a virtual meeting chaired by the Prime Minister and deliberations with the Ministry of Commerce on persistent delays in enforcing revised and approved betel nut import protocols. The report traced the origins of the dispute to August 25 meetings where the existing supply chain was reviewed and found deficient due to weak local testing mechanisms, contradictory laboratory reports, and repeated litigation.
To address these shortcomings, the DPP had drafted revised protocols on September 29 under the Pakistan Plant Quarantine Rules, 2019, harmonised with International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) standards and the Import Policy Order 2022. The framework proposed a decisive shift towards internationally recognised offshore compliance, including exporter registration by exporting countries’ NPPOs, ISO-17025 accredited laboratory testing, enhanced packaging and labelling, time-bound consignments, and system-based risk management through the Pakistan Single Window.
However, the report revealed that the protocol ultimately notified by DPP on October 17 materially differed from the version approved by MNFSR under instruction of the prime minister. During subsequent discussions on digital integration with PSW’s Integrated Risk Management System (IRMS), it emerged that the notified version retained compulsory routine onshore inspection and testing, rendering IRMS execution technically unfeasible.
According to the report, these officials opposed exemption from routine onshore testing, citing Pakistan Plant Quarantine Rules and pest risk concerns, despite proposals for a system-based solution involving electronic treatment certification, PSW-based declarations, automated release orders, and selective inspections triggered by risk profiling whereas, on the side, these officials were releasing cotton, ginger, grains, woods in violation of standing Pakistan Plant Quarantine Rules for personal gains and ulterior motives.
The disagreement led to prolonged delays, prompting administrative restructuring on October 31. However, the move triggered litigation, absenteeism, and further operational disruption within the department.
The report also flagged several alleged irregularities attributed to the suspended officials and their team, including mishandling of correspondence with Indonesia regarding renewal of citrus export agreements — which reportedly resulted in a sharp increase in mandatory pesticide residue testing — delays in communication with other trading partners, irregular pesticide registrations, continuation of registrations of banned pesticides, alleged fee embezzlement, and preparation of biased court submissions. Trade associations including the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) and others had lodged repeated complaints, leading to disciplinary action against at least one official.
Sources alleged that these officers were collecting bribe through Mr. Muhammad Hanif, Entomologist, Nasir Ahmed, Entomologist, Mr. Muhammad Taufiq, Entomologist, Mr. Umar Farooq, Entomologist, Mr. Allah Yar, Assistant Entomologist, Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed, Assistant Entomologist, Mr. Yaqooq Khan, Assistant Entomologist and Mr. Israr Khan Kakar, london based fugitive clearing agent on release of cotton, ginger, raw ground nut, dry fruits, pulses, grains without prescribed statutory treatments.
Despite these challenges, the DPP had initiated steps to transition betel nut imports to IRMS Green Channel mode. However, implementation remains contingent on issuance of electronic phytosanitary certificates by Indonesia, availability of compliant pre-shipment inspection agencies, and necessary system enhancements by PSW.
As an interim measure, manual ex-bond filing of goods declarations was halted earlier this month, and Pakistan Customs was advised to process declarations exclusively through PSW. Import permits under old conditions were also withheld pending consensus with Indonesian authorities — a move the report described as necessary to avoid jeopardizing Pakistan’s kinnow exports, for which Indonesia is a major destination.
As per documents these officials were also involved in making false statement of allegations against Mr. Sohail Shahzad, former Director Technical, Mr. Allah Ditta Abid, former Director General and Dr. Muhammad Tariq Khan, Director Technical regarding non-operational of Central Plant Quarantine Laboratory (CPQL) while these officials could not functional the same CPQL for the past one year leading to their suspension. Similarly, they moved a reference under instruction from Mr. Tahir Abbas, Ex-Director General, Mr. Bilal Haider, OSD, PAS officer of BS-19, Ex-Joint Secretary, MoNFSR/ frontman of Mrs. Farah Gogee during Buzdar led Punjab Govt. against Mr. Shehzad that he drafted phytosanitary import conditions of importable commodities without scientific justification leading to their termination and forced retirement whereas, on the other side, these officials have been implementing the same phytosanitary import conditions till to date despite they were authorized to review it under Rule 97 of Pakistan Plant Quarantine Rules, 2019.
Likewise, they ignored prime minister instruction and MoNFSR approved phytosanitary import conditions and changed them as per their desire and implemented them and continued receiving bribe from the importers by blackmailing them without fear. Rana Muhammad Mukhtar, Deputy Secretary, MoNFSR holding additional charge of Food Commissioner, BS-20 in MoNFSR despite non-technical and in grade BS-19. He is considered his supporter because they supply him ill gotten money, sources within the MoNFSR revealed.
With the suspension of the DPP chief and key technical officers, officials familiar with the matter warned that the department now lacks both administrative and technical capacity to steer ongoing reforms, raising concerns about regulatory paralysis and potential fallout for agricultural imports and exports.
The stakeholders already have reservation on the ineffectivity of NAFSA board containing political based private and retired entities without any expertise in plant quaratine. Already exports of rice, sesame, corn, mango, citrus, potato, onion have been decreased manyfold compared to previous years due to unwise policies of prime minister office and food security ministry.
The MNFSR has yet to issue a detailed explanation for the suspensions.
