ISLAMABAD (March 16 2004): Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) has formally conveyed to the Tradesman International that its decision to rejected Australian wheat case was irreversible and it could seek permission from the government of Pakistan (GoP) to take back all the four ships from Karachi port.

Passco Managing Director Major General Fahim Akhtar Khan told this correspondent by phone from Lahore on Monday that rejected Australian wheat case was the story of the past now.

Fahim said: "We have cancelled the tender after confirmation of 'kernal bunt' fungus in imported Australian wheat and conveyed the decision to the Tradesman International--a Karachi-based firm--which had won the tender for import of 0.150 million tons commodity from Australia early this year."

Secretary Food and Agriculture, Salik Nazir, when contacted said that Pakistan has rejected Australian commodity on finding of kernal bunt in test reports "and that's all".

He denied about any demand from Australian government for DNA test of the rejected commodity.

He said that Pakistan had carried out tests of imported Australian wheat at the National Agriculture Research Council (NARC) and Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) Laboratories, which confirmed presence of kernal bunt as well as less percentage of gluten.

Salik said: "Test reports of NARC and PCSIR were final, and all parties to the case were bound to accept them as per terms and conditions of the tender."

The Cabinet had sealed the fate of imported wheat by endorsing the Passco decision of not accepting fungus-ridden Australian wheat.

Courtesy Business Recorder