Pakistan, May 25 -- Pakistan has decided to significantly liberalise its genetically modified organisms (GMO) regulatory regime by approving major amendments to the Pakistan Biosafety Rules 2005, including simplifying licensing procedures, easing imports and facilitating laboratory research in universities and the private sector.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the National Biosafety Committee (NBC) held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of the secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, according to the ministry's spokesperson Mohammad Saleem Shaikh.

Senior officials, including the director general of the Pakistan Environmental Protection (Pak-EPA), technical experts and members of the biosa...