A three-member delegation from Pakistan’s Department of Plant Protection (DPP), the country’s National Plant Protection Organization, called on High Commissioner Muhammad Saleem at the High Commission for Pakistan in Ottawa on Thursday.
The delegation operates under the Ministry of National Food Security and Research. It was led by Dr. Uzma Sitara, Principal Scientific Officer. She was accompanied by Muhammad Hassan Chachar, Senior Scientific Officer, and Tayyab Walayat, Entomologist Quarantine/Pakistan Single Window.
The officials are in the Canadian capital to attend a seminar organized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Titled “Seminar on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Its Regulatory Framework for Food, Safety, Health, Plant and Animal Health,” it runs from October 26 to 30, 2026. The program gives participants an overview of how Canada regulates food safety and the health of plants and animals.
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During the meeting, High Commissioner Saleem welcomed the growing collaboration between Pakistan and Canada in agri-food trade. He also appreciated the capacity-building initiatives under way in the relevant regulatory frameworks, which he said help the two countries engage more deeply in sectors of mutual interest.
Regulatory cooperation of this kind is central to agricultural trade. Plant health standards, quarantine procedures and food safety rules largely determine whether agricultural products can cross borders. Training exchanges between national regulators can help officials on both sides better understand each other’s requirements and processes.
The delegation’s participation in the CFIA seminar reflects the importance Pakistan attaches to aligning its plant protection and quarantine practices with international standards. Walayat’s role with the Pakistan Single Window is a reminder of the push to streamline trade-related procedures.
