Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, responding promptly to a special letter from Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain, has constituted a high-level committee to promote cooperation between Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan in the fields of agriculture, livestock and fisheries.
On the directives of the Punjab chief minister, the committee, headed by Punjab Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, is currently visiting Gilgit-Baltistan.
The delegation includes Punjab Agriculture Secretary Shakil Ahmad Mian, Livestock and Dairy Development Secretary Ahmad Aziz Tarar, Aquaculture and Fisheries Secretary Rana Saleem Afzal and other senior officers.
The Punjab delegation held a detailed meeting with Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain to discuss measures for improving and modernising the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors in the region.
Speaking at the meeting, Chief Minister Amjad Hussain expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for sending the provincial minister and a team of experts to Gilgit-Baltistan in response to his request.
He said development of the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors would not only benefit local farmers but also contribute to strengthening the economy of Gilgit-Baltistan.
He said the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors had witnessed significant development during the tenure of the present Punjab government.
Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that, on the directives of the Punjab chief minister, full support and technical guidance would be provided to introduce Punjab’s agricultural development models in Gilgit-Baltistan.
He said a ceremony would soon be held in the presence of the chief ministers of Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan for signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at promoting cooperation in agriculture, livestock and fisheries.
The provincial minister said technical working groups were being constituted to promote mutual cooperation between the two regions in these sectors.
He said assistance would also be provided to establish a certification system to facilitate access of livestock products from Gilgit-Baltistan to international markets.
The Punjab government would provide training to enhance the capacity of technical human resources in Gilgit-Baltistan, he added.
Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani also briefed the GB chief minister on various initiatives of the Punjab government, including the Kissan Card, Livestock Card, Green Tractors Programme, high-tech farm mechanisation, Model Agri Malls, Agricultural Graduate Internship Programme, shrimp farming and Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD)-free zones.