Govt urged to sharpen its focus on agri sector

ISLAMABAD: The lawmakers in the National Assembly called upon the government on Tuesday to make concerted efforts for boosting agriculture sector and address the issues faced by the farmers in the country.

Speaking on a point of order, Rao Ajmal Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said that the government should announce incentives for the agriculture sector, saying sincere efforts should be made to address the problems of farmers.

Shaikh Rohale Asghar of the PML-N said that there is a need to take practical measures to strengthen parliament, adding there should be no compromise on the supremacy of the parliament.

Rana Ishaq Khan said that it was the prime responsibility of the government to give due attention towards improving the agriculture sector, keeping in view the hardship being faced by the farmers. He was of the view that there should be a smooth supply of fertiliser to the farmers.

Dr Afzal Dhandla, a dissident MNA of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that farmers had been ignored by the past government that failed to provide fertiliser to them on cheaper rates.

Mehar Irshad Ahmad Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) expressed hope that the government would take required measures to tap the country’s true potential in the agriculture sector, stressing the need for making a parliamentary committee to uplift this sector that was considered the backbone of the national economy.

Speaking on a point of order, Ali Gohar Khan Baloch congratulated Pervaiz Ashraf for assuming the office of speaker National Assembly. He said that former deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri bulldozed legislation during his tenure and passed many bills despite, non-presence of the required members.

The PTI had resorted to politics of agitation and wanted to push the country towards anarchy, he said.

He alleged that former Prime Minister Imran Khan was imposed through a “conspiracy”. The then prime minister Nawaz Sharif conducted nuclear tests in 1998 by turning down $5 billion package offered by the then US president Bill Clinton, he added.

Dr Shahnaz Baloch said the coalition government should also join hands to address myriad of issues faced by the people of Balochistan. The past government miserably failed to deliver in all sectors despite tall claims, she said.

MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of Jamaat-e-Islami underlined the need to make sincere efforts for early release and repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who was facing imprisonment in the US.

“I demand from the incumbent government, foreign minister and the Federal Cabinet to make sincere efforts for the early release of Dr Aafia, who had been sentenced to 86 years of imprisonment by a US federal court,” he added.

Meanwhile, MNA Zahid Durrani of the JUI-F submitted nomination papers for election to the office of NA deputy speaker.

No other candidate filed the nomination papers. Election to the office of the deputy speaker will be held today (Wednesday).

According to the NA Secretariat, no other candidate except Durrani submitted the nomination papers.

The election for the vacant seat of deputy speaker will take place on April 20.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022