Islamabad | While the battle for ownership and brand of Basmati rice between New Delhi and Islamabad continues in the European Union (EU), the interesting thing is that Basmati is not registered as a local product of Pakistan.
By law, it is mandatory to preserve and protect the product under the country’s Geographical Indicator (GI) laws.
Although there are no regulations of Geographical Indicators (Registration and Protection) Act 2020 in Pakistan, Basmati rice is not yet a protected product in the country.
The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan is urging the government to enact GI laws.
A rice exporter said, “The laws were finally enacted in March later this year, but the authorities have not yet enacted GI law regulations. This has resulted in many local exportable products with Pakistani GI tagging somewhere in the world. Also cannot be registered. ”
He added, “Even the case pressure in the European Union is prompting authorities to finalize the rules of GI law as soon as possible.”
On the other hand, Pakistan is compelled to implement GI law, as India has submitted an application to the European Union, claiming sole ownership of the commodity.
India has said that Basmati is a special tall aromatic rice grown and produced in the geographical area of the subcontinent. India also claims that the region is part of northern India, which lies below the Himalayas, which is part of the Indus-Gangetic Plain.
The Indian application, after being published on the European Union website, attracted the attention of Pakistani officials, including the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan, the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO), who have decided to contest the case.
Islamabad claims that Basmati rice is a joint product of India and Pakistan.
It says that at least 500,000 to 700,000 tonnes of basmati rice are exported annually, while at least 200,000 to 250,000 tonnes of basmati rice is shipped to countries in the European Union.
An IPO spokesperson said the GI laws are in the final stages, stating that the notification will be issued at the earliest.
“The rules are in the processing process and will be notified by the Ministry of Commerce soon,” said IPO spokesperson Meesak Arif.
“The government has authorized the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) as the principal agency in relation to basmati rice,” he said.
As per the procedure, TDAP will file for GI protection of Basmati rice in the country soon after it is notified with the aim of justifying and strengthening Pakistan’s dispute against India in the European Union.
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