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KARACHI, Jan 01 (APP): The Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of Pakistan, has awarded the Certificate of Accreditation to the National Reference Laboratory for the Department of Plant Protection (NRL-DPP) at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi.
Accreditation is the formal recognition of an organization’s competence to carry out specific activities, such as testing or certification.
Earlier, the Federal Ministry of National Food Security & Research (NFSR) and the H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, ICCBS, University of Karachi, signed an agreement to establish the National Reference Laboratory for the Department of Plant Protection.
This achievement was discussed during a meeting held on Thursday at the H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, which was chaired by Prof Dr Muhammad Raza Shah, Director of ICCBS. During the meeting, the Director was informed that the accreditation is based on a specific series of international standards that address critical aspects such as competence, impartiality, and integrity.
Congratulating the team, Prof Raza Shah stated that this significant achievement reflects the availability of robust technical expertise and high-quality assurance practices at the National Reference Laboratory for the Department of Plant Protection.
He noted that the laboratory, as an integral part of the H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, has reached an important milestone in its pursuit of global excellence in food safety testing.
He further said that the NRL-DPP at ICCBS, University of Karachi, plays a critical national regulatory and scientific role in plant protection and agricultural bio-security. He added that the laboratory serves as Pakistan’s reference facility for pesticide analysis, ensuring the quality and safety of pesticides used in imported and exported agricultural products.
Highlighting the importance of international trade, Prof Raza Shah pointed out that global markets are of fundamental importance to Pakistan, and PNAC’s accreditation activities ensure that certificates and test results issued by accredited laboratories in Pakistan are recognized and accepted worldwide.
He concluded by stating that ICCBS, University of Karachi, is one of the premier research institutions in the developing world, with a strong reputation for scientific research and training that extends far beyond the country’s borders.