Pesticide Residue Laboratory, Kala Shah Kaku

17/01/2026

A team of two from Pakistan To***co Company Limited visited Pesticide Residue Laboratory Kala Shah Kaku on Friday, dated 16-01-2026.
The team of PTC discussed over high pesticide residues detection in their to***co when tested by some foreign laboratories and the subsequent challenges to international business linked with this hi-value exportable agricultural commodity of Pakistan.
Our Principal Scientists, Dr Abdullah Niaz and Dr. Rehman Gul briefed over Lab performance and it's profile in the meeting.
Pakistan To***co Company will be taking our laboratory analytical services for local testing of their produce before to place in modern international markets as premium smoking brands.

10/01/2026

A delegation from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa visited Pesticide Residue Laboratory Kala Shah Kaku on Thursday, dated 08/01/2026.
Dr. Farida Anjum is PhD from Imperial College London and now working as the Director, Soil and Plant Nutrition, Agriculture Research Institute, Tarnab, Peshawar.
Team of KPK visited our facilities and showed interests in collaborations, especially in the subject of Pesticide Residues research and to proceed with further refinement of analytical methods for local supplies and environmental conditions.
Inter-laboratory comparisons for estimation of trace concentrations of residues was proposed by the guests while they appreciated our working in the field.
Principal Scientist (Pesticides), Dr. Abdullah Niaz arranged for the visit, technically briefed all the details on subject matter and Dr. Rehman Gul (Principal Scientist, Agri. Chemistry) introduced our laboratory working to the delegates.
Chief Scientist ISCES KSK Dr Sarfraz Hussain supervised all the discussion and shared his vast experience in chromatographic analysis of pesticides.
This is in continuation of activities aimed at better recognition of laboratory's significance on national and international platforms.

31/12/2025

Chief Scientist ISCES KSK, Dr Sarfraz Hussain and Principal Scientist Pesticide Residue Laboratory, Dr. Abdullah Niaz joined a meeting at Rice Research Institute KSK regarding discussion on ADP formulation for 2026 on Wednesday, dated 31-12-2025.
Worthy Chief Scientist (CS), AARI, Dr. Sajid ur Rehman was briefed about the progress on potential projects from the KSK chapter of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute.
Participants reinforced AARI’s commitment to evidence-based research, sustainable rice production and strengthening of Pesticide Residue Laboratory Kala Shah Kaku.
DG Sahib will be visiting again soon to Residue Laboratory for discussion on it's project separately.
Afterwards, participants also visited Pesticide Quality Control Laboratory KSK. Team of PQC explained very well on the subject matter, their achievements and also presented some bottlenecks to the authorities for their kind consideration.

31/12/2025

Environment Protection Agency (EPA) invited Dr. ABDULLAH Niaz as Chief Scientist, Provincial Pesticide Reference Laboratory (PPRL) Kala Shah Kaku, in celebrations of their first workshop in the learning collegium of newly built Green Building Gulberg, Lahore on Wednesday dated 24/12/2025.
EPA team discussed their strategies on synergy compliance and their approaches to align divisional laboratories with recently formulated Environmental Monitoring Cell (EMC).
Mr. Muhammad Rashid (Senior Scientist) also joined technical session to advise on best strategies for their Reference Laboratory to provide technical support and supervision to all the existing primary laboratories and the field staff.
Ms. Silwat Saeed, Secretary Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EP&CCD) and Mr. Imran Hamid Sheikh, Director General EPA appreciated Dr. Abdullah Niaz on his insights and preferred to work on all the opportunities for future collaborations in research and development.
Ms. Silwat Saeed also presented a shield to Dr. Abdullah on his valuable contribution in technical session.

20/12/2025

Dr. Abdullah Niaz, Chief Scientist, Provincial Pesticide Reference Laboratory, Kala Shah Kaku, visited the Soil Bacteriology Section, Agri. Biotech. Research Institute, Faisalabad.
During the visit, comprehensive discussions were held on pesticide residue analysis and the potential role of microbial interventions in their mitigation. Dr. Niaz highlighted the growing concern of pharmaceutical contaminants, particularly antibiotics, in sewage water and emphasized the need to explore their microbial degradation. He also proposed the submission of a joint collaborative project in the coming year to address these emerging challenges.
Dr. Niaz showed keen interest in the laboratory’s ongoing research activities, including microbial isolation, purification, and the development of biocontrol agents. He appreciated the section’s research portfolio and acknowledged the significance of both current and upcoming projects, for which detailed information was shared...

20/12/2025

A high-level international industrial delegation from Germany, Turkey, and Turkmenistan visited the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad on Friday, December 12, 2025, to strengthen research and commercialization collaboration in various crops, with special emphasis on the sesame crop.
The meeting was chaired by Chief Scientist (Agriculture Research), Punjab, Dr. Sajid ur Rehman. The session was attended by Dr. Ghulam Sarwar (Chief Scientist), Dr. Abid Niaz (Chief Scientist), Dr. Abdullah Niaz (Principal Scientist), along with scientists from the Oilseeds Research Institute (ORI).
A comprehensive discussion was held on potential avenues for mutual collaboration, focusing on strengthening research, development, and technology transfer at both national and international levels. Dr. Sajid ur Rehman appreciated the outstanding efforts of ORI scientists and emphasized the importance of expanding international partnerships to enhance agricultural innovation and commercialization.
The delegation also visited the Pakistan–China Joint Oilseeds Research Laboratory and research fields of oilseeds, wheat, sugarcane, and maize. The visiting delegates highly appreciated the research activities and scientific contributions of AARI scientists toward ensuring food security and sustainable agricultural development.

20/12/2025

Tuesday, dated 09/12/2025
Chief Scientist ISCES KSK, Dr. Sarfraz Hussain and our team of two; Principal Scientists, Dr. Abdullah Niaz and Dr Rehman Gul participated in a technical session on Advanced Knowledge in MRL & Residue Management at Pearl Continental Hotel Lahore, organized by Bayer Pvt. Ltd and the CropLife Pakistan.
Three subject specialists delivered technical presentations, including;
1. Ms. Ho Mei Choo, Regulatory Affairs Crop Protection, Bayer Malaysia, briefed on research regarding active ingredients, formulations, regulations of pesticides. She also narrated all the alternatives to banning of pesticides while protecting the agricultural exports.
2. Dr. Ahmad Rashzlan Rosli, Regional Residue Expert, Singapore, discussed the elements and processes of MRLs establishment and the factors affecting pesticide residues at harvest.
3. Dr. Sa Mi Lee, Trade Enabling Lead, Asia Pacific, Korea, detailed out the effects of pesticide residues on international trades and variations in MRLs across the globe. She explained her topic giving case studies from Canada and India.
In post lunch panel discussions, our institute team of three proposed that the pesticide industry might approach the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) providing toxicity data so that stringent MRLs of certain pesticides could be raised back from the current value favouring our foreign trades.
Bayer's expert panel appreciated our team commitment and Laboratory working in the subject area.
They showed their keen interest in future collaborations and knowledge sharing with our experts.
The activity helped laboratory get good recognition among all the stakeholders, especially the pesticide industry and this will be providing opportunities towards public private partnership goals of the department.

20/12/2025

03/12/2025

Wednesday, dated 03/12/2025
Team of two from Pesticide Residue Laboratory, Kala Shah Kaku, comprising it's Principal Scientist Dr. Abdullah Niaz and analyst Mr. Arslan Nazarat (Arslan Maitla) visited Syngenta Pakistan office along with Chief Scientist ISCES Dr. Sarfraz Hussain to attend a meeting with their local and foreign experts regarding ongoing research trials on pre-harvest interval (PHI) and safe use of pesticides.
Their foreign experts from Turkey and Japan appreciated Punjab Government Laboratory working and showed interests to carry forward this collaboration to next levels where their more products will be brought under experimentation to generate much needed pesticide residues studies data under our agroecological conditions which will help the decision makers understand the real field scenario before to take any strict regulatory decisions regarding registration and marketing of Agricultural Pesticides.
This is the very first time that Pesticide Residue Laboratory Kala Shah Kaku is directly collaborating with pesticide industry to build mutual understanding, appropriate knowledge sharing and fulfilling the gaps.
The recommended international guidelines will be followed at all stages; plan of studies, field ex*****on, samples collection, samples transportation to the laboratory, analysis on Hi-Tech machines and reports to the multinational organization to share these all details with the region offices.
This activity will help get recognition for our efforts in the subject line and in the long run department get more expertise for it's technical man force and also harvesting huge contribution towards the revenue generation.
More dedication from the team at PRL KSK is expected for successful realization of this task.

30/10/2025

Thursday, dated 30/10/2025

Pesticide residues pose a significant threat to Pakistan’s rice exports. To address this challenge, Syngenta Pakistan organized a one-day workshop focusing on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and the safe use of pesticides to promote sustainable rice production and reduce pesticide residues—ensuring the continuity of Pakistan’s rice exports in international markets.
Pesticide Residue Laboratory team of three, Dr. Abdullah Niaz, Tahir Majeed and Arslan Nazarat participated in technical session under supervision of Chief Scientist ISC&ES KSK, Dr. Sarfraz Hussain and shared the research and laboratory experiences over there.
Only a collective understanding and joint effort from all the stakeholders could do for food safety assurance as well as safeguarding the valuable foreign exchange linked with exportable agricultural produce.
All such efforts from any corner is appreciated. Our team acknowledged Rice Research Institute KSK team's commitment and appreciated Syngenta Pakistan’s contribution towards improving quality and sustainability of rice cultivation in the country.

30/10/2025

Tuesday, dated October 21, 2025.
Chief Scientist ISC&ES KSK Dr. Sarfraz Hussain and Dr. Abdullah Niaz attended Provincial rice committee meeting at Agriculture House,Davis road Lahore. Secretary Agriculture chaired.
All the stakeholders participated and float their suggestions and appreciated the Punjab Government interventions to get a good quality exportable rice yield this year.

21/10/2025

21/10/2025,
An expert team from Syngenta Pakistan visited our laboratory today morning.
Laboratory supervises the research trials and analysis of produce to generate residue data reports for submission to department of plant protection, meeting a key registration for new registration of their products.