Cotton import ban — Pak to approach WTO

The decision to approach the WTO was taken here on Saturday by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL).

Dr Zakir Hussain, cotton commissioner, MINFAL, told the press, "the Indian decision had greatly hurt the Pakistan cotton trade. We will approach WTO to take action against India for this unjust decision."

Another English daily The News said "the Indian government politicising the cotton trade with Pakistan had banned the import of cotton from Pakistan on the pretext that cotton seeds of exotic origin, dried leaves and stalks in imported consignment carry strains of destructivebacteria, viral and fungal diseases which are virulent under Indian climatic conditions." Dr Hussain commenting on the Indian government’s notification in this regard termed it as "totally baseless", the reports said.

Pakistan cotton, he said did not carry any disease and the country has not received any such complaint from importers of any country in the last 50 years.

Cotton is exported after pre-inspection at the port or landed quality subject to verification of international inspectors. It was also fumigated and therefore "the question of bacterial, fungal or viral diseases does not arise."

Stating that Pakistani cotton was virus resistant, the Minister claimed that India was experiencing the havoc of cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV).

He said Indian scientists had visited Pakistan last year under the auspices of the cotton advisory committee to attend a workshop on `Resistant management of pest and disease in cotton’.

Indian scientists have also been requesting Pakistan to provide know-how tocontrol the CLCV, he said.

President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and industry Iilyas M Chaudhry alleged that India had made special amendments in its cotton import regulations, 1972, for imposing ban on Pakistani cotton.