LAHORE: President Ayub has suggested the creation of an agency, or organisation, for coordinating scientific activity and research by various bodies to ensure its proper practical utilisation for national development and progress.

This was stated by the West Pakistan Minister for Food and Agriculture, Malik Khuda Bakhsh here this morning [July 18]. He was inaugurating the four-day seminar on the role of atomic energy in pest control organised by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.

The Minister said the President gave a directive to this effect to the Provincial Governor at the high-level conference held at Rawalpindi yesterday.

He said the President underlined the need for making science the basis of the national structure of the country to catch up with the modern times.

Malik Khuda Baksh said the Government was fully alive to the role of science in the building up of a developing country like Pakistan and all possible encouragement was being given to the teaching of science and providing greater facilities to the scientists.

The Minister called upon the scientists to make an integrated approach to evolve practical methods to effectively control pests and insects causing great damage to major food and cash crops. He said the menace of insects and pests in this era of development posed a serious challenge to the scientists as well as others connected with this field.

The Minister asked the scientists to devise practical measures which could be easily adopted by the farmers and could be implemented with available resources within the country.

Malik Khuda Bakhsh said it was for the scientists to carve a place of distinction for themselves in national life by achieving tangible results from their research and experience which might contribute to the national growth and prosperity.

The Minister said, according to the reports of some international agencies, there were 900 species of insects and pests in Pakistan which caused damage to the crops. He said of these 263 species were found in West Wing and 221 species in East Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2017