Commissioner orders mandatory buyer records for wheat pills sales

FAISALABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jul, 2026) Divisional Commissioner Imran Hamid Sheikh has imposed stringent regulations on the sale, purchase, storage and distribution of aluminium phosphide (commonly known as wheat preserving pills) across Faisalabad division, making mandatory the maintenance of complete purchaser records before any sale to prevent avoidable deaths and restrict access to one of the deadliest toxic substances.

In an official order issued by the Divisional Commissioner under Section 15 of the Punjab Civil Administration Act, 2017, he said that the decision had been taken in greater public interest to safeguard human lives and prevent the misuse of the highly toxic pesticide.

He said that aluminium phosphide, widely used for protecting stored wheat from pests, posed a serious threat to human life due to its extreme toxicity.

He said that research conducted by Faisalabad Medical University had revealed that emotionally distressed and mentally troubled youths were purchasing the tablets from medical stores, pesticide shops and grocery outlets to commit suicide.

According to the research findings, ingestion of the toxic tablets generally results in death within two to three hours while no effective antidote is currently available, making the mortality rate nearly 100 percent.

To regulate its sale and prevent misuse, the order makes it mandatory for every individual, firm, dealer, distributor, pesticide seller and licensed outlet dealing in aluminium phosphide to maintain a complete sales register before selling the product.

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The record must include the purchaser's name, Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number, complete residential address, contact number, quantity purchased, date of sale and the intended purpose of use.

He further directs all licensed dealers and retailers to keep the sales record readily available for inspection by the district administration, agriculture department, police and any other authorized officer.

Divisional Commissioner Imran Hamid Sheikh instructed all deputy commissioners of the division to ensure regular inspections and strict monitoring of every outlet dealing in aluminium phosphide within their respective districts.

Any violation of the order would invite legal action under the relevant laws, he warned.

He also directed the district administration, agriculture department, drug control wing and law enforcement agencies to work in close coordination to ensure effective enforcement of the order and prevent the unlawful sale or misuse of the pesticide.

The regulatory measures have come into force with immediate effect and would remain applicable until further orders, he added.