PESHAWAR: Adviser to the chief minister on Information and public relations Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif has said that Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has issued special directives to promote agriculture in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s mountainous regions.

He termed the initiative a “revolutionary step” by the provincial government aimed at revitalising the agricultural sector in underdeveloped areas, according to a statement issued here on Tuesday.

He said that the agriculture department had been tasked with taking concrete steps to boost farming in hilly terrains.

The directives also include the setting of clear targets for food security, employment generation, and resource management in the region.

As part of the broader strategy, the government plans to establish a Mountain Agriculture Development Board and community seed banks. Additionally, cooperative societies and other local organisations in rural areas will be revived to support sustainable agricultural development.

Barrister Saif said that the promotion of agriculture in mountainous areas would help create employment opportunities and improve livelihoods, particularly in backward districts, which are a key focus of the current provincial government.

He underscored agriculture’s pivotal role in economic growth and said the provincial government is taking “practical and serious” measures to strengthen the sector.

“There is immense agricultural potential in KP’s mountainous regions,” he said, adding the provincial government was committed to unlocking this potential through focused and sustainable interventions.

Meanwhile, Barrister Saif strongly condemned the violence against elected representatives and PTI’s central and provincial leadership outside the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

He termed the incident a peak of fascism and a failed attempt to suppress the voice of the people, according to a statement issued here on Tuesday.

Mr Saif emphasised that the nation was under threat from within and called for national unity and solidarity in the face of current challenges.

He alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, blinded by her hatred for Imran Khan, had lost her senses, and with the Sharif family at the helm, Pakistan needs no external enemy.

He called on the courts to break the chains of the 26th Amendment and take suo motu notice of the injustices.

He accused Maryam Nawaz of misusing the Punjab police against PTI and warned that she should only inflict as much oppression as she can personally endure.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2025