Islamabad: Federal Minister for Defense Production Muhammad Israr Tareen said that the cross-border smuggling of fertilizers must be stopped to ensure their availability for the local landowners in Punjab and Balochistan.
Speaking at the national assembly, the federal minister mentioned that the shortage of fertilizers in Punjab and Balochistan was caused due to the malpractice in the distribution.
He further said that many landowners had come to him to complain about the unavailability of fertilizers. The landowners complained that the cross-border smuggling was the biggest reason for the shortage of fertilizers to those who are far off from the mainland and living near the Pak-Afghan border.
On this occasion, Minister Israr Tareen urged law enforcement agencies to keep an eye on trafficking activities. He proposed authorities sit with the local landowners in Balochistan and inform them about the necessary arrangements so that they would not be short of fertilizers.
“If all the authorities dealing with it take care of this, then all the landowners will get the fertilizer for their crops. Increasing the production will be benefiting the country,” the minister said.
