RAWALPINDI: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has constituted a committee to promote cooperation with Gilgit-Baltistan in agriculture, livestock and fisheries.

Ms Nawaz constituted the committee in response to a special letter from Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain.

The committee headed by Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani is currently visiting Gilgit-Baltistan. The committee comprises Secretary Agriculture Punjab Shakeel Ahmad Mian, Secretary Livestock and Dairy Development Ahmad Aziz Tarrar, Secretary Aquaculture and Fisheries Rana Saleem Afzal and senior officers.

The delegation held a meeting with the GB chief minister to discuss measures for bringing improvement and innovation to the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors.

The GB chief minister expressed gratitude to the Punjab chief minister for sending the team to Gilgit-Baltistan in response to his request.

He said development of the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors in Gilgit-Baltistan will not only benefit local farmers but also strengthen the region’s economy. He said that significant progress had been made in these sectors during the tenure of the present Punjab government.

On the occasion, Mr Kirmani said full support and guidance will be provided for introducing successful agricultural development models of Punjab in Gilgit-Baltistan. He said a ceremony for signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan for the development of agriculture, livestock and fisheries will soon be held in the presence of the two chief ministers.

He said that technical working groups were being constituted to promote mutual cooperation between Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan in the fields of agriculture, livestock and fisheries.

He said assistance will be provided in developing a certification system to facilitate access of livestock products from Gilgit-Baltistan to international markets. The government of Punjab will also provide training to enhance the capacity of the technical human resources of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Mr Kirmani also briefed the meeting on the Punjab chief minister’s Kissan Card, Livestock Card, Green Tractor Programme, High-Tech Farm Mechanisation, Model Agri Malls, Agricultural Graduates Internship Programme, Shrimp Farming and Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD)-Free Zones.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026