ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday the government is working to increase innovation, sustainability and modernization in the agriculture sector to support farmers, according to an official statement issued to mark World Food Day.
The day, celebrated annually on October 16, marks the establishment of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and promotes global food security by raising awareness of hunger and encouraging action for a sustainable future.
As an agricultural nation, Pakistan faces significant challenges from climate change, with erratic weather patterns, heatwaves and droughts affecting agricultural yields.
In response, Pakistan has sought collaboration with nations like China, focusing on technology and innovation to modernize its agriculture sector and address climate-related issues.
“Our farmers are the backbone of the food system, who with their dedication and hard work, ensure that we have enough to eat,” the prime minister said. “We are committed in supporting them with policies that focus on innovation, sustainability, and modernization in the agricultural sector. Our government is facilitating farmers to equip themselves with the technology they need to thrive in today’s world, including access to modern agricultural machines, improved infrastructure, and better market access.”
He noted that his administration was promoting and facilitating support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food processing sector.
“Our focus is the empowering the rural women entrepreneurs, who form a key component of our rural economy, to ensure that they also actively participate in this sector,” he added. “Our vision is to integrate Pakistan into the global food value chain by fostering public-private partnerships, encouraging foreign investment, and promoting export-oriented growth in agriculture and food processing.”
The prime minister expressed confidence that Pakistan would be able to overcome the challenges of hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity by implementing efficient policies in the area.
“Let us work together to build a society where farmers are supported and facilitated to adopt sustainable agricultural practices so that everyone has access to nutritious food, and we are also able to ensure food security for our future generations,” he said.
Pakistan PM pledges innovation to boost agricultural yield on World Food Day
https://arab.news/v6pvr
Pakistan PM pledges innovation to boost agricultural yield on World Food Day
- An agricultural nation, Pakistan has faced significant challenges in the field of agriculture due to climate change
- PM says his government wants to empower rural women entrepreneurs, ensure their participation in the sector
Pakistan’s defense minister backs army spokesman’s criticism of Imran Khan
- Khawaja Asif calls the military’s response to Khan’s recent remarks ‘measured’
- He accuses Khan’s PTI party of ‘changing its identity’ by siding against Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday defended a scathing news conference by the military’s spokesman a day earlier, in which the latter accused former prime minister Imran Khan of promoting an anti-state narrative that he said had become a national security threat.
Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who heads the military’s media wing as director general of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), addressed journalists on Friday in response to Khan’s latest social media post accusing Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir of being responsible for “the complete collapse of the constitution and rule of law in Pakistan.”
During the briefing, Chaudhry described the incarcerated former premier as a “narcissist” and a “mentally ill individual,” though he said it up to the government to determine how it wanted to deal with him.
Asked about the military’s viewpoint against Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Asif told reporters in the city of Sialkot the former premier had long used harsh language against state institutions and political opponents.
“When this kind of language is used for individuals as well as for institutions, then a reaction is a natural outcome,” he said. “The same thing is happening on the Twitter accounts being run in his [Khan’s] name. If the DG ISPR has given any reaction to it, then I believe it was a very measured reaction.”
The minister said Khan and PTI leaders had continued to target the army despite the sacrifices made by soldiers in the fight against militancy and during the four-day conflict with India in May.
He said PTI should recognize those sacrifices by supporting “our soldiers and martyrs” rather than “the terrorists.”
“Imran Khan speaks on every issue. Why did he not speak [in favor of the military] during the war [with India]?” Asif said. “Even during the war he kept targeting the military leadership. He continued to use inappropriate language for them.”
“People whose conduct is like this, whose language does not spare even the martyrs, how can they say ... that the DG ISPR should not say this or should not say that?” he continued. “He absolutely should.”
Asif added that Khan and his party had “changed their identity,” adding they were no longer standing with Pakistan.
PTI has not officially responded to his comments yet.
