ISLAMABAD:Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said that food security was a great challenge for Pakistan which could even become a national security issue, if timely measures were not taken.
“The country is faced with new challenges…The population size is growing fast. We need to prepare in advance as how to grow food for them during the next 10 to 15 years,” the prime minister said while addressing the Kisan Convention here which also marked the launch of Agriculture Transformation Plan.
Minister for National Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Special Assistant on Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema also attended the event, besides hundreds of farmers from across the country.
He said the timely measures were inevitable to ensure the survival of the future generation.
He said the nation which failed to grow food to suffice needs of its people, could not excel, rather it should be punished for this slackness.
He said Pakistan imported four million tonnes of wheat last year which had to be paid for in foreign exchange, amidst already existing shortage of dollars.
The prime minister also shared the alarming figures of 40 percent stunted growth of children due to malnutrition and that such children could never progress due to limited growth of brain and body.
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