Pakistan today lifted an ‘undeclared’ ban on imports of ginned cotton from India.
According to a report in ‘Dawn’, Pakistan, however, has said that it will implement all phytosanitary and other conditions governing the fibre’s imports on future incoming shipments via surface or sea.
Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research had put cotton imports from India through Wahga and Karachi port on hold from Nov 23 saying the shipments did not fulfil phytosanitary conditions.
However, traders at that time claimed that rising border tensions between the two neighbours had prompted Islamabad to impose the ban on Indian cotton.
The Department of Plant Protection (DPP) has also made it clear to importers that only the consignments free from cotton seeds will be accepted and allowed into the country.
The department has also asked for production of phytosanitary certificate issued by authorities in the country of origin declaring that the consignments are free from pests and disease and were fumigated for 48 hours before loading.
In addition to that, the importers are also required to obtain import permit 14 days prior to the arrival of the cotton consignments.
Traders, however, point out that these are not new conditions.
“But the fact remains that the department has never implemented or threatened to implement them to the letter ever like now,” a textile factory manager told ‘Dawn’.
“If implemented strictly, we will not be able to import cotton from any country in the world, let alone India, because no consignment is completely free from cotton seeds,” he added.
