25 SEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2026 • ACCREDITATION Leading the Way: Pakistan’s First Private ISTA Seed Sampling and Testing Laboratory Dr Javaria Amin1, Dr. Misbah Qamar2 and Quratulain Khawar3 1Laboratory Head 2Laboratory In-charge 3Quality Manager GGAS HI-TECH LABS (PK04) is a centre of seed sampling, testing, pathology, seed storage and agricultural biotechnology. The laboratories were established in 2019 in Faisalabad, Pakistan, a city that lies at the heart of one of South Asia’s most productive agricultural belts. In addition to its core testing mandate, GGAS Hi-Tech Labs holds a license as a post-entry quarantine station by DPP, Pakistan, placing it at a critical intersection of seed science, biosecurity and regulatory compliance. The laboratory (PK04) became a member of ISTA in 2024 and immediately committed to the full implementation of the ISTA Quality Management System. Following successful participation in ISTA Proficiency Tests, the laboratory underwent a comprehensive audit conducted by ISTA system auditor Christine Herzog and technical auditor Marija Milivojevic, on 21–22 October 2025. GGAS Hi-Tech Labs was awarded an ISTA Accreditation Certificate on 5 March 2026, becoming Pakistan’s first ISTA accredited laboratory in the private sector, and a formally recognised member of the global ISTA network. The laboratory operates under a documented quality management system, ensuring traceability, technical competence, impartiality and continual improvement across all testing activities. The accredited scope of the laboratory spans a diverse range of agriculturally significant crop groups, including cereals, grasses, vegetables, spices, herbs and medicinal plant species. Within this scope, all procedures are conducted in strict conformance with the current International Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA Rules): seed sampling, physical purity analysis, determination of other seeds by number, germination testing, viability assessment and thousand-seed weight determination. This breadth of accreditation reflects both the technical depth of the laboratory and the complexity of Pakistan’s agro-ecological landscape. Beyond its accredited scope, the laboratory operates across a wider frontier of seed science. Its principal areas of work encompass seed quality assessment; seed health testing for An historic milestone: the expert team behind Pakistan's first ISTA accredited private sector laboratory, pioneering global standards in seed testing Pioneering ag-tech: a researcher monitors micropropagation trials for next-generation sustainable farming
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