PESHAWAR
College of Veterinary Sciences (CVS) University of Agriculture Peshawar (UAP) conducted an awareness session about “Biosecurity and Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)” in Pathology Laboratories.
Experts from Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar and Health Security Partners (HSP), USA took participated in sessions on variety of topics relevant to Biosecurity and BWC.
Organizer of the event, Dr. Farhan Anwar Khan welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of Biosecurity and BWC.
The event was also attended by Vice Chancellor University of Veterinary Sciences Swat and Principal College of Veterinary Sciences UAP, Prof. Dr. Umar Saddique and Prof. Dr. Sarzamin Khan (Ex Dean FAH&VS).
They appreciated efforts to organize the session and discussing important and crucial issues of Biosecurity and awareness about Biological Weapon Convention.
The participants included faculty members, undergraduate and postgraduate students showed great interest and zeal throughout the sessions. The session was unique of its kind as Bio-warfare has been considered potential threat to the national and international security.
Dr. Hafsah Muhammad, Assistant Professor, PI, KMU shared details of the program with participants. She discussed about Biosecurity, its history, control and selected agents of great concern related to bioweapon or bio warfare.
She highlighted that history of bio warfare initiated in Europe during 1155 by contaminating wells with infected dead bodies of unknown diseases. Use of biological weapons was also witnessed during World War-1 and in 2.
She also highlighted the primary measure for control of biosecurity along with challenges posed by biosecurity. She also shared her knowledge about dual use dimension of biotechnology and explained the positive and negative use of biotechnology and effects of modern technologies and research on human and other aspects of world.
Komal Hashmi, Resource Person KMU highlighted the international frame works applicable to biosecurity. The Geneva protocol 1925 which affirms the biosecurity governance was also explained in detail.
Dr. Tayyab Ur Rehman Dean Iqra National University thoroughly explained the global perspective of BWC and Pakistan’s commitment to abide BWC. Pakistan sign BWC on April 10, 1972 and ratified it on Feb 13, 1974. Since then “Pakistan is trying to improve its Confidence Building Measure (CBM) ranking by reporting annually to Implementation Support Unit (ISU) regularly” he said.
The program was concluded with the closing remarks and vote of thanks by Dr. Farhan Anwar Khan. At the end certificates were distributed among the participants.
