- Advertisement -
ISLAMABAD, Oct 21 (APP):The National Parliamentary Taskforce on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has pledged decisive legislative action to ban Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs), the primary source of industrial trans fats in Pakistan, following a high-level briefing organized in collaboration with Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA) and TRANSFORM Pakistan at the National Assembly.
The session brought together parliamentarians, public health experts, and representatives from Islamabad Food Authority, Heartfile, the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), and the Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH). The dialogue underscored the urgent need to protect citizens from trans fats, which are directly linked to heart disease, diabetes, and other non communicable diseases.
Opening the discussion, MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Convener of the SDGs Taskforce, expressed grave concern over the continued production and consumption of PHOs despite their proven health risks. She urged parliamentarians to prioritize legislation banning PHOs nationwide to safeguard public health.
Providing context, Huria Tariq, Program Implementation Lead at PYCA, noted that although the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) recently approved a 2% limit on industrial trans fats, PHOs is the main source which remain in use. “As long as PHOs are produced, our food supply cannot be truly safe,” she stressed.
Nutrition policy expert Munawar Hussain explained that PHOs are a major driver of cardiovascular diseases in Pakistan. “Someone in Pakistan suffers a heart attack every 90 seconds, and trans fats from PHOs are a key cause,” he stated, calling for urgent enforcement of a complete ban.
Supporting the stance, Dr. Tahira Siddique of the Islamabad Food Authority said that food industries can easily switch to safer, affordable alternatives without affecting quality. Dr. Saba Amjad, CEO of Heartfile, added that with 35 million adults living with diabetes and over 200,000 annual heart-related deaths, banning PHOs would save countless lives.
Over 20 parliamentarians, including Mahtab Rashdi, Sharmila Farooqi, Zeb Jaffar, Nuzhat Pathan, Romina Khurshid, Danyal Chaudhary, and others, actively participated calling for strong regulation, awareness campaigns, and collaboration with food authorities to ensure compliance.
Areebah Shahid, Executive Director of PYCA, urged immediate action, stating, “We can’t afford to wait decades to build capacity while losing thousands of lives each year. A legislative ban is the simplest and most effective step forward.”
Concluding the session, MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik reaffirmed the Taskforce’s resolve to work closely with TRANSFORM Pakistan partners to push for reform, public education, and enforcement. She emphasized that eliminating PHOs is not only a public health imperative but also crucial for achieving Pakistan’s SDGs and ensuring a healthier, trans fat-free future.