ISLAMABAD: Seven out of nine labs and technical offices of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) do not have valid operating licences.

Details posted on the website of the Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) show that the Food Testing Laboratory PSQCA in Karachi and the Technical Services Centre (TSC)-PSQCA in Lahore enjoy validity of their licences up to May 2022 and Novernber 2021, respectively.

The licence of PSQCA Control Centre (QCC), Lahore, expired in July 2019. The operating licences of Sugar Testing Lab, Quality Control Centre, Karachi; Water Testing Lab, PSQCA, Karachi; Oil & Fat Testing Lab, Quality Control Centre PSQCA, Karachi; Microbiological Laboratory PSQCA, Karachi; and the BuildingMaterial Testing Lab, PSQCA, Karachi, expired in July 2020. The operating licence of PSQCA Standards Development Centre (SDC)Conformity Assessment (CAN) expired in June 2021. All these labs are not only responsible for maintaining standards of industrial products but also include consumer items as well as edible products.

Talking to Dawn, a senior PSQCA official, while requesting anonymity, acknowledged that these labs and institutions needed validation from the Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC).

Interestingly, the PSQCA, despite the suspension of accreditation for almost two years, has been issuing testsreports oftheselaboratories.

Another PSQCA official said the accreditation of key laboratories was suspended due to non-compliance with mandatory requirements of the PNAC.

`Since the PSQCA labs are not accredited, there would be a question mark on their reports on the basis of which the standard and quality of mandatory certification items are ascertained,` the officials said.

Among other responsibilities, the PSQCA has the mandate to enforceand implement quality and environmental management systems (ISO:9001-2000 and ISO:14000) and assist local industries to obtain certifications for these.

The PSQCA-Quality Control Centre has not had a valid operating licence since July 2019 but it continues to work as a multifunctional testing laboratory and offers testing services in the field of food, materials, papers & textiles, microbiology and water testing.

The PSQCA-QCC is currently providing testing facilities against 120 samples, including animal feed, biscuits, bleaching liquid and powder, cement, cold drinks, cooking oil, fertiliser, dry battery cell, electric fans, electric iron, electric motor (complete test) etc.

Similarly, the licence of Microbiological Laboratory PSQCA, Karachi expired in July 2020. Its key functions include detecting microbes in various mediums. In beverages, this laboratory conducts tests to detect coliforms, e-coli, yeast and mold, while tests for coliforms, fecal coliforms, e-coli, pseudomonas and tests to detect viable count of salmonella and staphylococcus aureus are conducted in food items.