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Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority
The Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA; Urdu: مختاریہَ پاکستان برائے انضباطِ کیفیات و معیارات) is an autonomous body subordinate to the ministry of science and technology of the Government of Pakistan. Its main objective is to regulate and enforce quality standards in Pakistan. Anything that is certified by the PSQCA is issued the Pakistan Standards label. HistoryThe PSQCA was formed through the passage of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority Act, 1996 by the Parliament of Pakistan.[1][2][3] On Feb 16, 2022, the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology approved transfer of head office of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to Islamabad from Karachi.[4] OrganizationThe Authority is composed of the following four departments:[5] Standards Development CenterThe Directorate of Standards, also known as Standards Development Centre, SDC is responsible for the development of Pakistan Standards, adoption of International Standards by consensus involving Stakeholders (manufacturers, government and regulatory bodies, consumers, scientists and technologists, academia and testing laboratories) through its technical divisions.[6] OrganizationSDC has 177 Technical Committees along with 12 technical divisions. Technical divisions are:[6]
AchievementsSDC has established 6094 Pakistan Standards, and adopted 9185 ISO, 6202 IEC, 2 OIML, 634 ASTM, 21 Codex Alimentarius (CAC) and 15 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Standards.[6] Quality Control CenterThe Quality Control Centre (QCC) is a multifunctional testing laboratory which test quality of food, building materials (cement), papers & textiles, sugar, Microbiology, beverages and Water. QCC is organized in six sections.[9] It can test 107 different items, including 38 food, 28 electrical, 02 auto vehicles, 03 animal feed, 3 textile, 14 civil/building materials, 6 washing/cosmetics, 2 steel, 9 chemical division and 4 fertilizer items.[10] HistoryThe formal Central Testing Laboratory merged into Pakistan Standards Quality Control Authority under Act VI of 1996, after the Promulgation of the Pakistan Standards Quality Control Authority and was renamed as Quality Control Centre.[9] In 2014, all labs of Quality Control Centre(QCC Karachi) i.e. Microbiology, Water & beverages lab, Sugar Lab, Oil & Fats and Building Material (Cement) Lab were accredited.[9] OrganizationQuality control centers are located at Karachi (with chemical, microbiology and physical sections), Lahore (chemical, microbiology and physical sections), Peshawar (chemical, microbiology and physical sections) and Quetta (chemical section).[11] Technical Services CenterSystem Certifications CenterInternational activitiesAffiliationsPSQCA is a member of the following international organizations:[12]
Relations with foreign nations and organisationPSQCA has memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with following countries: PSQCA has established relations with following organizations: References
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