TOBA TEK SINGH: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is mapping out a project on a low-carbon agriculture mechanism worth $3 million in Pakistan to address the agricultural and environmental issues for a better future of the country.

It was stated by ADB Senior Natural Resources Specialist Ms Noriko Sato during a meeting with Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairperson Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan and University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali at a meeting held at the UAF on Friday.

The blueprint of the project is being designed in collaboration with the UAF.

The meeting discussed different ADB projects and lauded the services of Ms Sato, especially for the agriculture sector of Pakistan.

Ms Sato said that the project will cover seed breeding, greenhouse gas emissions mechanisms and high-tech agricultural interventions.

She said that ADB supports Pakistan’s inclusive, sustainable and climate-resilient development through investments in the country’s economic management, energy, food security, institutional capacities, private sector, public finance, social services, transportation and urban services.

Dr Iqrar said that Ms Sato played a significant role in the uplift of the agricultural sector in Pakistan. He said that environmental degradation was posing a serious threat that needs to be addressed through collective efforts.

He said that ADB worked on various projects aimed at mitigating climate change’s impact, in collaboration with UAF, which gave tangible results.

He was of the view that the country was confronted with different agrarian and food security challenges, including a changing environment, water scarcity and low productivity, adding that thesituation demands scientific solutions for a better tomorrow.

VC Dr Zulfiqar said that UAF is determined to extend its global linkages to transform agriculture through technology, research and industry partnerships. He said that UAF has completed around 20 technical assistance and five R&D projects with ADB.

He said that, being an agrarian economy, the poverty alleviation in Pakistan was directly linked to the agriculture sector and stressed the need for innovation and research-based solutions for the economic stability, to ensure food security and improve socio-economic conditions of the farming community.

The meeting was also attended by deans, ORIC director, UAF registrar, treasurer and scientists who have worked on different projects with ADB.

Meanwhile, UAF and MG Agri Foods (Pvt.) Ltd, Multan, signed an MoU to strengthen collaboration in areas of common interest. UAF VC and MG Agri Foods CEO Khawaja Muhammad Jawad inked the agreement.

Director Extension Linkages Dr M Tehseen Azhar and Dr Raheel Anwar and other notables also attended the ceremony.

NOTICE: Punjab ombudsperson’s district advisor on Friday issued a second notice to the Jhang deputy commissioner for not responding regarding the three-year pendency of a widow’s pension case.

The complainant widow, Mussarat Bibi, had filed a petition before the Punjab ombudsperson, stating that during the final months of his service, her late husband Ghulam Qadir, a naib tehsildar, had submitted his pension case for approval. However, before the completion of the process, he passed away in April 2022.

She said that since her husband’s death, she had been repeatedly approaching the relevant government offices to claim his pension but to no avail.

District Adviser Chaudhary Almas had earlier sought a report from the DC, but no response was received. The adviser has now fixed Sept 2 as the date for further proceedings.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2025