The 29th meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research was held on Monday, 3rd August 2026, at 11:30 a.m. in Committee Room No. 7, Parliament House, Islamabad, under the chairmanship of Syed Hussain Tariq, MNA. The proceedings commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by the confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting.

 

The Committee considered Agenda Item No. IV regarding the exclusion of the joint project of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, for the establishment of the Dates Research Centre at Khairpur from the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2026–27. During the briefing, the representative of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives informed the Committee that, due to fiscal space constraints, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research had prioritized only three new development schemes for inclusion in the PSDP 2026–27. Consequently, a number of proposed projects, including the Dates Research Centre, could not be accommodated despite their importance.

 

The Committee observed that Pakistan is among the leading producers of dates and emphasized that the proposed research centre would play a significant role in promoting scientific research, improving date production, developing disease-resistant varieties, enhancing value addition, and strengthening export potential. After detailed deliberations, the Committee directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to formally take up the matter with the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and seek reconsideration of the project. The Committee also decided to seek a meeting with the Hon. Prime Minister to discuss the establishment of the Dates Research Centre at Khairpur through a joint venture between the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur. The proposed meeting would also focus on other critical issues affecting the agriculture sector, including wheat import, the fixation of a fair and remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat, the provision of DAP fertilizer subsidies on the pattern of regional countries to improve agricultural productivity and increase crop yields, and the reasons behind the reported shortage of wheat despite earlier reports indicating surplus wheat stocks.

 

The Committee also reviewed the implementation status of its previous recommendations concerning the regulation of artificial sweeteners and flavoured drinks. The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) briefed the Committee on the steps taken to revise the existing regulatory framework in light of the Committee's earlier directions. The Committee recalled that these recommendations had been made following the findings of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which highlighted the potential adverse health effects associated with the frequent consumption of artificial sweeteners and flavoured drinks, particularly among children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. According to the NIH, excessive consumption of such products may contribute to early-onset diabetes and increase the risk of serious diseases, including certain forms of cancer.

 

Expressing concern over the slow pace of implementation of its earlier recommendations, the Committee directed the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to convene a meeting of its Technical Committee in Islamabad at the earliest. The meeting shall be attended by three Hon. Members of the Standing Committee, representatives of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), representatives of mango growers, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure comprehensive deliberation on the matter. The Committee further directed the PSQCA to review and revise the existing standards within two months to strengthen the regulatory framework governing artificial sweeteners and flavored drinks. The revised standards shall specifically address mandatory and accurate product labelling, prevention of misleading claims, display of prominent health warnings, clear indication of expiry dates, determination of appropriate fruit pulp ratios, and regulations governing the use of plastic bottles for beverage packaging. The NIH was also directed to present scientific evidence regarding the health impacts associated with artificial sweeteners and provide recommendations based on internationally recognized standards and best practices to facilitate the revision of the existing policy.

 

The meeting was attended by Hon. Members Waseem Qadir, Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, Nadeem Abbas, Abdul Qadir Khan, Ms. Musarrat Asif Khawaja, Nazir Ahmed Bhugio, Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani and Syed Abrar Ali Shah.

 

Senior officials from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and provincial food authorities also attended the meeting.