As genetically modified crops pop up ever increasingly in Pakistan without a legal framework within which pesticide-resistant varieties of Bt cotton and Bt corn can be scientifically assessed, the Lahore High Court has ordered Pakistan's federal government to halt all licensing for GM corn or cotton.

This decision will result in a complete stall of all supply and sale of GM seeds in Pakistan, especially those which are altered with high pesticide and herbicide resistance. Considering that these crops have elsewhere been found to cause super bugs, super weeds, and human and animal illnesses, it is a forward-thinking decision by Pakistani officials. The decision affects 23 varieties of Bt cotton and 14 new Bt corn varieties, which were planned for market release in 2014.

Of these 23 varieties, the GM corn strain MIR162, and MON810 have both already been banned in China and parts of the European Union.