ISLAMABAD: As repeated interceptions of Pakistani rice consignments in the EU and other countries continue without any reduction, the families of inspectors imprisoned for three months following an FIA case—initiated on the instructions of the Prime Minister—have demanded accountability for the current leadership of the Department of Plant Protection (DPP). They urge Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif to apply the same indiscriminate legal standards to the current officials as were applied in past cases of rice interceptions in the European Union.
Concerned parents of the affected officials have called on the Prime Minister to order the registration of an FIR against Tahir Abbas, Director General of the DPP—an entity currently undergoing restructuring into the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority, allegedly in violation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which falls under the mandate of the provinces—along with other relevant officials in Karachi. This demand comes in response to more than twelve interceptions of Pakistani rice shipments by the European Union in January and February 2025 due to excessive pesticide residues and aflatoxins exceeding permissible limits. These incidents occurred under the leadership of Mr. Tahir Abbas, a customs officer without technical expertise.
According to the families of the affected officials, multiple Pakistani rice consignments were flagged and returned by the EU during these months due to pesticide residues, including Imidacloprid and Chlorpyrifos, as well as aflatoxin levels exceeding prescribed Codex and EU safety limits. This situation has raised serious concerns regarding the government’s decision to appoint a non-technical customs officer as Director General. Critics argue that this appointment has led to a decline in regulatory oversight, contributing to a 15% reduction in Pakistani rice exports to the EU and other countries.
The families emphasized that, in the past, the Prime Minister had held former Plant Protection officers and two technical Director Generals accountable for similar European rice alerts—even though food safety measures do not fall within the mandate of the DPP, as stipulated in the Rules of Business. The Pakistan Plant Quarantine Act of 1976 mandates the regulation of the import and export of agricultural commodities strictly in relation to plant quarantine. Despite this, the former officials were suspended, criminal charges of fraud, forgery, and corruption were filed against them, and they were arrested, even though an inquiry report stated that the intercepted shipments were cleared without requiring non-mandatory lab reports.
Now, the families are demanding that the same legal actions be taken against Tahir Abbas, a customs officer appointed in January 2025 in violation of Civil Servant (Appointment, Promotion & Transfer) Rules. They also call for action against Dr. Muhammad Basit, Director of Quarantine, and illegally appointed inspectors from the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), who lack plant quarantine and food safety experience and were appointed unlawfully by the Secretary, Ministry of National Food Security & Research (M/o NFS&R).
They further stated that if the Prime Minister does not take impartial action against his allegedly corrupt appointees—including the Director General, the Director of Quarantine, and the inspectors—they will organize protests on Karachi’s Shahrah-e-Faisal, including blocking traffic.
Three months ago, the Prime Minister reportedly directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to register cases and arrest former officials deemed responsible for European rice alerts. The FIA, allegedly acting under political pressure, filed corruption cases against 17 officials, leading to their imprisonment. Some managed to secure interim bail, while others remained incarcerated for three months before being released on bail on February 24, 2025.
The families argue that the charges against these officials were baseless, as the responsibility for quality assurance had been delegated to rice exporters by the Ministry of Food and the Ministry of Commerce. This authority remains with exporters to this day, yet the government has refrained from taking action against those who submitted fraudulent reports regarding rice quality.
Observers point out that such selective and politically driven actions raise concerns about transparency and fairness in the Prime Minister’s governance approach. Further fueling controversy, the government has now shifted an Rs. 8 million contract for plant protection services to a private laboratory, HEJ Karachi, allegedly without following proper procurement procedures. This laboratory reportedly charges significant fees for testing from importers and exporters, and its integrity has been questioned multiple times in the past. The appointment of the private laboratory was reportedly facilitated by the new Director General, raising concerns about potential corruption in fund allocation and distribution.
Sources allege that appointing a customs officer to lead the DPP was primarily aimed at establishing a systematic mechanism for financial gains within the organization, similar to customs operations. Instead of strictly regulating the import and export of agricultural commodities with stringent phytosanitary and food safety measures, Tahir Abbas is reportedly focusing on withdrawing import conditions aligned with the National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) of Australia and India. This benefits certain importers of fumigants at the expense of national food security.
Pakistan’s phytosanitary import conditions for agricultural commodities are currently aligned with biosecurity-sensitive nations such as Australia, New Zealand, India, the USA, Russia, and Mexico. However, reports suggest that influential clearing agents and importers have colluded with Mr. Umar Farooq, an entomologist, to amend DPP’s phytosanitary import conditions. This was allegedly exposed in an FIA inquiry that reviewed chats between Umar Farooq and London-based clearing agent Israr Khan, along with other clearing agents.
Through these alleged manipulations, Israr Khan and his associates aim to establish a system for collecting bribes to release imported containers and cargo without proper inspection and phosphine treatment—already rejected by NPPOs in Australia, India, the USA, New Zealand, Russia, and Mexico due to its ineffectiveness against many pests and plant pathogens. Umar Farooq and Dr. Muhammad Basit are already primary accused in FIA Case FIR No. 4/2019 for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs. 16 million to release an infested soybean vessel. Despite this, they remain favored by Tahir Abbas and the Secretary of M/o NFS&R and continue to hold key positions in the DPP.
As these alleged unlawful actions become part of the official record, critics warn that they will likely lead to another wave of corruption scandals. History has shown that unchecked corruption ultimately leads to accountability, and those responsible for wrongdoing may eventually face consequences.
