ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistans June palm oil imports slid below 100,000 tonnes on a lack of demand and an uncertain international market, but buying has picked up in July, an industry official said on Thursday. Demand had been been in a lull for the past three months, particularly in the northwest, where troops were battling Taliban militants, Rasheed Janmohammad, vice-chairman of the Pakistan Edible Oil Refiners Association, said. In addition, low intake in rural areas during the wheat harvesting season and a lack of confidence in the global market accounted for the slower buying, he said. There has been less buying of palm oil crude, RBD palm oil and palm olein...it was less than 100,000 tonnes (in June). Pakistans palm oil imports fell 15.49 percent to 126,951 tonnes in May from the same month in 2008, and were 25 percent lower than April, official data showed. Pakistan, the worlds fourth-largest importer of vegetable oil, buys a mix of refined and crude palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia, the worlds biggest producers. It consumes about 3 million tonnes of edible oil a year, but produces only 500,000-800,000 tonnes of cottonseed, rapeseed and sunflower, relying on imports to meet about 80 percent of demand. Price fluctuations in the international market had also been keeping Pakistani buyers away, Janmohammad said. The international market remained so uncertain that there was no confidence in Pakistanis to take positions, he said. Malaysian crude palm oil futures tumbled 4.2 pc to a 14-week low on Wednesday on fears global economic recovery could stall in the second half of the year. Pakistani traders are, however, seeing demand picking up in July, with up to 100,000 tonnes of edible oil already contracted and buying still going on. Janmohammad said he anticipated buying in August to be higher than in July, although traditionally demand eases before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which is due to begin in the third week of August. Demand tends to rise during Ramadan when people traditionally consume more fried food when they break their fast after sunset.