Month: July 2026

Hyderabad: A doctoral researcher at Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam has been awarded a PhD degree after successfully completing research that offers practical solutions to improve sunflower productivity, enhance edible oil quality and reduce Pakistan’s dependence on imported edible oil.

The Board of Advanced Studies and Research (BASR) of Sindh Agriculture University approved the award of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree to Mr. Deepak Raj Goswami, a scholar from the Faculty of Crop Production, Department of Agronomy, during a meeting chaired by Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof. Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal. The board unanimously approved the degree after confirming that all academic, research and examination requirements had been fulfilled.

Goswami completed his doctoral research titled “Optimization of Plant Density and Balanced Nutrient Management for Enhancing Seed Yield, Oil Quality and Iron Biofortification in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)”.

The study addresses one of Pakistan’s major agricultural and economic challenges – the country’s heavy reliance on imported edible oil.

According to the research, Pakistan currently imports nearly 70 to 80 percent of its edible oil requirements, resulting in the expenditure of billions of rupees in foreign exchange each year. The findings suggest that adopting improved agronomic practices for sunflower cultivation could substantially increase domestic edible oil production and reduce import dependence.

Based on two years of field experiments, the research evaluated different planting methods, plant population densities, row orientations and balanced nutrient management strategies. The findings demonstrated that optimum plant density, scientific crop establishment techniques and balanced fertilizer application significantly improve seed yield, oil quality and iron enrichment in sunflowers.

The study also highlights the importance of iron biofortification in addressing micronutrient deficiencies, particularly iron-deficiency anaemia, which remains a major public health concern among women and children in Pakistan. According to the researcher, increasing the iron content of sunflowers through improved nutrient management could contribute to producing more nutritious edible oil and enhancing food security.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof. Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal congratulated Mr. Deepak Raj Goswami and his supervisory team, saying that applied agricultural research plays a vital role in strengthening Pakistan’s agriculture sector, ensuring food security and supporting the national economy.

The research was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Muhammad Nawaz Kandhro, Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy. The supervisory committee also included Dr. Mahmooda Buriro, Dr. Ghulam Murtaza Jamro and Dr. Siraj Ahmed Channa.

Hyderabad: A doctoral researcher at Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam has been awarded a PhD degree after successfully completing research that offers practical solutions to improve sunflower productivity, enhance edible oil quality and reduce Pakistan’s dependence on imported edible oil.

The Board of Advanced Studies and Research (BASR) of Sindh Agriculture University approved the award of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree to Mr. Deepak Raj Goswami, a scholar from the Faculty of Crop Production, Department of Agronomy, during a meeting chaired by Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof. Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal. The board unanimously approved the degree after confirming that all academic, research and examination requirements had been fulfilled.

Goswami completed his doctoral research titled “Optimization of Plant Density and Balanced Nutrient Management for Enhancing Seed Yield, Oil Quality and Iron Biofortification in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)”.

The study addresses one of Pakistan’s major agricultural and economic challenges – the country’s heavy reliance on imported edible oil.

According to the research, Pakistan currently imports nearly 70 to 80 percent of its edible oil requirements, resulting in the expenditure of billions of rupees in foreign exchange each year. The findings suggest that adopting improved agronomic practices for sunflower cultivation could substantially increase domestic edible oil production and reduce import dependence.

Based on two years of field experiments, the research evaluated different planting methods, plant population densities, row orientations and balanced nutrient management strategies. The findings demonstrated that optimum plant density, scientific crop establishment techniques and balanced fertilizer application significantly improve seed yield, oil quality and iron enrichment in sunflowers.

The study also highlights the importance of iron biofortification in addressing micronutrient deficiencies, particularly iron-deficiency anaemia, which remains a major public health concern among women and children in Pakistan. According to the researcher, increasing the iron content of sunflowers through improved nutrient management could contribute to producing more nutritious edible oil and enhancing food security.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof. Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal congratulated Mr. Deepak Raj Goswami and his supervisory team, saying that applied agricultural research plays a vital role in strengthening Pakistan’s agriculture sector, ensuring food security and supporting the national economy.

The research was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Muhammad Nawaz Kandhro, Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy. The supervisory committee also included Dr. Mahmooda Buriro, Dr. Ghulam Murtaza Jamro and Dr. Siraj Ahmed Channa.

Sargodha: Police on Wednesday arrested 29 criminals from various parts of the district and recovered contraband from them during the last 24 hours.

On a tip-off, teams of different police stations raided various localities and arrested suspects, identified as Aslam, Ghulam Rasool, Munir, Kareem, Abdul Samad, Sohaib, Sohail, Kamran, Mumtaz, Naveed Asghar, Saleem, Mukhtar, Muzammil, Mumtaz, Nadeem, Shafique, Sharafat, Saqlain, Ahmed, Ehsan, Kamran, Asghar, Talal and others.

Police recovered 3-kg hashish, 2-kg opium, 108-litre liquor, 23-litre wine, three pistols, four guns, one Kalashnikov, three rounds, 70 bullets and valuables.

Sargodha: Police on Wednesday arrested 29 criminals from various parts of the district and recovered contraband from them during the last 24 hours.

On a tip-off, teams of different police stations raided various localities and arrested suspects, identified as Aslam, Ghulam Rasool, Munir, Kareem, Abdul Samad, Sohaib, Sohail, Kamran, Mumtaz, Naveed Asghar, Saleem, Mukhtar, Muzammil, Mumtaz, Nadeem, Shafique, Sharafat, Saqlain, Ahmed, Ehsan, Kamran, Asghar, Talal and others.

Police recovered 3-kg hashish, 2-kg opium, 108-litre liquor, 23-litre wine, three pistols, four guns, one Kalashnikov, three rounds, 70 bullets and valuables.

Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has written a letter to the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging him to reconsider the proposed withdrawal of tax exemptions for the merged districts (MDs) and Malakand Division.

In his letter, he said the move has caused widespread public concern and that the KP Assembly has already expressed reservations over the proposal.

In his letter said the provincial government supported a fair taxation system and emphasized the importance of ensuring that any policy changes take into account the unique socio-economic conditions of the merged districts and Malakand Division.

Sohail Afridi said the merged districts had joined KP under a framework aimed at supporting their long-term development and integration.

He noted that the province continued to bear significant responsibilities for maintaining law and order, counterterrorism efforts, rehabilitation of affected areas and reconstruction of infrastructure.

The CM said KP, as the country’s frontline province in the fight against terrorism, had suffered considerable human, economic and infrastructure losses.

He added that the closure of border trade with Afghanistan, along with underdevelopment, inadequate infrastructure and energy shortages, continued to affect the region’s economy.

Afridi said the tax exemption for the merged districts and Malakand Division had been introduced to promote investment, create employment opportunities and accelerate economic development.

He maintained that the socio-economic conditions that formed the basis for these incentives largely remained unchanged.

The CM said withdrawing the tax exemption at this stage could discourage investment, slow economic recovery and place an additional burden on local businesses.

He also noted that the KP Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution urging the federal government to defer the proposed tax measures.

Sohail Afridi appealed to the Prime Minister to postpone the proposed withdrawal of tax exemptions for the merged districts and Malakand Division and retain the existing incentives until there was clear improvement in the economic and development indicators of the region.

He expressed hope that the federal government would make a positive decision in the larger public interest.

Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has written a letter to the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging him to reconsider the proposed withdrawal of tax exemptions for the merged districts (MDs) and Malakand Division.

In his letter, he said the move has caused widespread public concern and that the KP Assembly has already expressed reservations over the proposal.

In his letter said the provincial government supported a fair taxation system and emphasized the importance of ensuring that any policy changes take into account the unique socio-economic conditions of the merged districts and Malakand Division.

Sohail Afridi said the merged districts had joined KP under a framework aimed at supporting their long-term development and integration.

He noted that the province continued to bear significant responsibilities for maintaining law and order, counterterrorism efforts, rehabilitation of affected areas and reconstruction of infrastructure.

The CM said KP, as the country’s frontline province in the fight against terrorism, had suffered considerable human, economic and infrastructure losses.

He added that the closure of border trade with Afghanistan, along with underdevelopment, inadequate infrastructure and energy shortages, continued to affect the region’s economy.

Afridi said the tax exemption for the merged districts and Malakand Division had been introduced to promote investment, create employment opportunities and accelerate economic development.

He maintained that the socio-economic conditions that formed the basis for these incentives largely remained unchanged.

The CM said withdrawing the tax exemption at this stage could discourage investment, slow economic recovery and place an additional burden on local businesses.

He also noted that the KP Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution urging the federal government to defer the proposed tax measures.

Sohail Afridi appealed to the Prime Minister to postpone the proposed withdrawal of tax exemptions for the merged districts and Malakand Division and retain the existing incentives until there was clear improvement in the economic and development indicators of the region.

He expressed hope that the federal government would make a positive decision in the larger public interest.