TOBA TEK SINGH: Experts from Australia, the United States, and Pakistan emphasised the integration of agricultural heritage systems, indigenous knowledge, and local practices into modern agricultural policies to strengthen food security and climate resilience.

They were speaking at a policy dialogue held at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) and the session was moderated by UAF Agriculture Policy, Law and Governance Centre (APLGC) Director Prof Dr M Asif Kamran with support from the Punjab Higher Education Commission’s R&D cluster on Public Policy and Economic Development with Beaconhouse National University (BNU) as cluster lead and Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), University of Punjab, University of Management & Technology, and UAF as partners.

The panel featured Dr Muhammad Ejaz Qureshi from the Australian National University, Prof Kulwinder Gill from Washington State University, and local experts Dr Asghar Ali, Dr Abdul Ghafoor, and Dr Azeem Iqbal Khan from UAF.

Dr Qureshi shared Australia’s experience of incorporating indigenous knowledge into policymaking and environmental management. He highlighted practices such as cultural burning for land management along with indigenous approaches in biosecurity and border management systems, emphasising the importance of integrating traditional ecological knowledge into contemporary governance frameworks.

Prof Gill emphasised that heritage farming systems serve as living gene banks and stressed the need for universities and research institutions to conserve indigenous germplasm through participatory plant breeding and community seed banks linked with research centers.

Prof Asghar said agricultural progress should not be measured solely through productivity and profitability indicators, but should also incorporate resilience, sustainability, and agricultural heritage systems. Prof Ghafoor highlighted the importance of value addition, quality improvement, and marketing in promoting traditional diets and indigenous food systems.

Prof Azeem emphasised the preservation of domestic landraces and traditional cultivars as important genetic resources for climate resilience and future agricultural development. Dr Asif highlighted the significance of the dialogue and acknowledged the support of the Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC), for providing a platform for such a unique academic and policy engagement initiative through R&D clusters.

The dialogue concluded with a commitment to develop policy recommendations for provincial and federal departments and to strengthen collaboration among researchers, farmers, and policymakers for the preservation and revitalisation of agricultural heritage systems for sustainable and resilient food security systems in the country.

HARASSMENT: The Faisalabad Samanabad Police arrested a doctor on Tuesday for allegedly harassing a female patient.

Complainant A claimed in her FIR that she visited a clinic in the main bazar of Abdullah Colony for her eye check up and there the doctor touched her inappropriately. A case had been registered against the accused.

DROWNS: A youth drowned in a canal at Khanewal on Tuesday.

According to Rescue 1122, Muhammad Abdullah (20) of Kacha Khu Chak 22/10-R was bathing in the canal when he got trapped in a deep water area and could not come out.

Rescuers fished out his body after hectic efforts of several hours.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2026