Senate Panel demands immediate appointment of DPP chief

ISLAMABAD: In a dramatic turn at Parliament House on Thursday, the Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) lashed out at the ministry for openly defying a court order by delaying the appointment of Director General of the Department of Plant Protection (DPP).

The committee directed the ministry to immediately install the senior-most technical officer, Mr. Tariq Khan, as the new DG — exactly as mandated by the court.Senators were visibly shocked when it was revealed that despite clear judicial directions, the ministry had dragged its feet on the appointment.

The petitioner himself, Tariq Khan, told the committee that powerful elements inside the ministry were deliberately blocking his appointment.Secretary MNFSR Amir Mohyuddin attempted to downplay the issue, claiming that the “process was underway.” Lawmakers rejected the excuse, warning that any further delay amounted to contempt of court. “The ministry has no option but to comply. Otherwise, contempt proceedings may follow,” thundered Senator Aimal Wali Khan.

The meeting took another sensational twist when members spotted former DG DPP Tahir Abbas, whose appointment had been declared illegal by the court, sitting in the committee room. The senators, including Chairman Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan, were visibly enraged. “On what authority is he sitting here?” they demanded, leaving the secretary fumbling for answers. Tahir Abbas was eventually asked to leave the room.Senator Saleem Mandviwala warned that the DPP leadership vacuum had crippled agricultural trade.

Fruit and vegetable exporters, represented by Waheed Ahmed, begged the committee to intervene, saying Pakistan’s exports were already suffering heavy losses due to the stalemate.After heated exchanges, the secretary MNFSR assured the committee that the appointment of Tariq Khan would be made “without any further delay.”Subcommittee on Selective Accountability.

The committee also grilled the ministry over suspension of several DPP technical directors facing inquiries. Senator Mandviwala alleged that the ministry had selectively targeted weaker officials while sparing powerful insiders, hinting at systemic victimisation.

A special subcommittee was formed to investigate the matter.The proposed formation of the National Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA) sparked yet another controversy during the meeting. Trade bodies accused MNFSR of bulldozing their concerns and treating exporters with arrogance.Chairman of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), Faisal Jahangir, alleged that MNFSR officials had not only ignored their feedback but even muted their representatives during consultative meetings. “We represent 80% of the country’s agricultural exports, yet we were silenced and sidelined,” he fumed.

The senators reacted strongly, deciding to order an inquiry against a joint secretary of MNFSR, Bilal Haider, who was accused of misbehaving with exporters. Waheed Ahmed also testified that his association faced the same treatment, adding that instead of creating new bureaucracies, the government should strengthen and equip DPP to handle export challenges.REAP further accused the ministry of sabotaging rice exports, warning that after a historic record last year, shipments were now set to plunge. They claimed the ministry was forcing exporters to rely on government-notified laboratories, many of which were not even accredited by PNAC, while ignoring internationally recognised private labs identified by exporters.The secretary countered that the HEJ Lab in Karachi had been upgraded with government funding and was fully capable of meeting global testing standards.Farmers’ representatives painted an equally grim picture. Chairman Pakistan Kisan Ittehad, Khalid Khokhar, declared that agriculture was in a state of emergency.

He warned that cotton cultivation would come to a halt next year, forcing Pakistan to import not just wheat but other staple crops.He accused the government of shielding the “real culprits” in the recent wheat import scandal, while suspending junior officials who had no role in the fiasco.The committee also reviewed a report on devastating floods that destroyed large swathes of farmland. Lawmakers recommended declaring the worst-hit areas as disaster zones so that relief and compensation could be expedited for affected farmers.