Transportation to Afghanistan: expired Indian sugar declared unfit

Some 265 containers of sugar which were imported from India for their transportation to Afghanistan under transit trade were declared unfit for human consumption after their laboratory tests here.

An official of SEPA said on the directives of Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Department, Government of Sindh, a technical team of Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) headed by its Director Technical Ashique Langah visited the office of Pakistan Customs in Karachi on Saturday and discussed the matter of reported contamination of Indian sugar which was to be transited to Afghanistan.

The SEPA team was informed that 265 containers of sugar which were imported from India for its transportation to Afghanistan under transit trade were declared unfit for human consumption because their expiry date has already been passed as per laboratory reports of both PCSIR and HEJ Research Institute.

Meanwhile a press statement issued from Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Department Government of Sindh stated, "Both the PCSIR and HEJ laboratories tested the samples of referred sugar with regard to its four key parameters including polarisation, moisture, invert sugar and colour. All the subject parameters were found deviating from their globally accepted standards."

SEPA official said the agency was of the view that an expired item more particularly of edible nature should not be further transported as it badly smells causing trouble to its surrounding.

Having gone through the details of the subject case of expired Indian sugar, SEPA Director also advised Customs to not allow its further transportation to Afghanistan after fulfilling all necessary legal requirements.