Staff Reporter Islamabad
Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has said that investment in Balochistan’s agriculture sector is vital to Pakistan’s sustained and inclusive economic development. He added that owing to inherent geo-political and geographical advantages, Balochistan will emerge as food basket of Pakistan.
Speaking during a meeting with a delegation including Agriculture Minister Balochistan, MNAs and officials from Agriculture department of the province which called on him on Thursday, he assured that the Speaker’s office and Special Committee on Agricultural Products will render all out support on assigning substantive meaning to agricultural transformation agenda of Balochistan.
The Speaker’s led Special Committee on Agricultural Products exchanged views with the provincial government on the Committee’s proposed agricultural growth strategy.
It was revealed that the proposed agricultural growth strategy included special initiatives for Balochistan. The Speaker was informed about the crippling constraints in accelerating agriculture growth of Balochistan and immense agricultural potential of the province.
The delegation requested the Speaker National Assembly to play a lead role in mobilizing the Federal Government to initiative and expedite construction of the phase 2 of the Kachi Canal. The Speaker was informed that Kachi Canal has the potential to bring 7.5 lac acres under cultivation. The Minister for Agriculture, Balochistan highlighted that the Federal Government should release federal share for the on-going projects under Prime Minister Agriculture Emergency Program and further increase the allocations for investment in Balochistan’s agriculture sector.
