ISLAMABAD: The head of the armed forces assured farmers on Friday that the country wanted to focus on “agriculture first” to regain the lost glory of the Green Revolution, which once saw Pakistan being counted among Asia’s fastest growing economies.

“There are rumours and negative things being said about Pakistan… an environment of uncertainty, despondency and anarchy is being created through false reports on social media to portray as if the state is losing its authority,” he said during his address at the National Farmers’ Convention.

However, he assured the audience that initiatives of the Special Inves­tment Facilitation Council (SIFC) would pay off and allow the country to “come out of economic crisis” and on the path to a progressive and prosperous future, a PM Office statement quoted him as saying.

“Farmers are [the] backbone of our agriculture sector. It is your untiring hard work, toil and determination that plays [a] pivotal role in ensuring food security for millions of Pakistanis,” he told the audience, which included, federal ministers, agriculture experts and other senior government officials.

Pledges to suppress all kinds of mafias, with the nation’s support

“Pakistan is endowed with immense potential and abundant resources. Together, we will navigate through these challenging times, by the grace of Allah, and attain our goals across every sector,” he said.

He noted that the country was laden with some of the richest natural resources and could be returned to its former glory by adhering to the basic principles put forward by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, i.e. unity, faith and discipline, PTV News and the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) quoted him as saying.

Talking about the Green Pakistan Initiative, in which the Pakistan Army would play its role to serve the people and facilitate farmers, he said that a major chunk of its revenue would go to the provinces, while the rest would be allocated for farmers and agricultural research.

Vowing to suppress all kinds of mafias, with the nation’s help, the army chief revealed plans to make ‘agricultural malls’ in all districts, where various facilities would be available for farmers.

“Provision of easy agricultural credit, cold storage chain, climate change resistant seeds and genetically engineered livestock will be ensured,” APP quoted him as saying.

According to the PM Office, Gen Munir pointed to the challenges posed by climate change and water scarcity in ensuring the country’s food security, noting that this necessitated the use of technology and close collaboration between the public and the government, as envisioned under the aegis of the SIFC

While the army chief was the guest of honour at the occasion, a PM Office statement said that caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar were also present on the occasion.

PM Kakar also appreciated the collaborative work of ministries and departments for achieving various milestones under the SIFC umbrella and stressed the need to expedite various initiatives.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2023