Saudi Arabia has refused to lift the ban on import of live birds and eggs from Pakistan despite the fact that the country has been declared free from Bird Flu, poultry exporters said on Wednesday. In response to a request for lifting of the ban, by Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh, the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has referred to Articles 2.1, 14.2 and 1/2 of ''Terrestrial Animals Health Code'' issued by the OIE in Paris, which stipulates that any country will be considered free from the Bird Flu disease after it is declared as infection-free state after using the necessary vaccination. Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is still under ban for import of live animals and eggs due to the Bird Flu disease, the Saudi Ministry said in its reply to Pakistani''s mission.
Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh in a letter to the Saudi government had said that Pakistan had been declared free of the disease and no new infection cases were found in birds after the vaccination was administered in April 2004.
The Embassy had informed the Saudi Government that all Gulf states had lifted the ban on import of live birds and eggs from Pakistan after it declared itself free from the disease and hence the Saudi Government was also being requested to lift the ban, which was imposed temporarily.
The Saudi Ministry said that under the Terrestrial Animals Health Code issued by OIE in Paris a country would be considered free of the Bird Flu disease if no incident of infection occurs for consecutive three years after the use of the vaccination. It said that Pakistan used the vaccination in April 2004 and hence it would remain under observation till April 2007. After that, its request for removing the ban would be considered by the Saudi Government.
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