SARGODHA:A national debate on the topic of “Population and Food Security” was organised by Pakistan Institute of China Studies at the Sargodha University, here on Wednesday.
Representatives from Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) Islamabad and Islamabad Policy Research Institute Islamabad (IPRI) took part in the debate, while UoS Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr. Qaiser Abbas, Associate Professor Dr. Muhammad Khalid Bashir from University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Chairman of Department of Entomology at Sargodha University Dr. Muhammad Irfanullah, Department of Earth Science of Sargodha University were also present. Associate Professor from Sciences Dr. Umar Riaz, President of IRS Ambassador Nadeem Riaz, Director of Pakistan Institute of China Studies Dr. Fazlur Rehman, a large number of students and teachers were part of the debate.
The main purpose of holding this discussion is to formulate recommendations on food security and population and submit them to the government of Pakistan. Through such discussions, academia and universities are being included in policy making.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Prof. Dr. Qaiser Abbas said “due to growing population, the imbalance in resources is arising and we are moving towards a global food crisis”. He said that for a healthy society, the country would have to make food security effective.
“The production of crops can be doubled by introducing innovations in the agricultural sector, while there should be a system of encouraging and guiding the farmers, because without restoring the confidence of the farmers, Pakistan cannot become a self-sufficient country in terms of food,” he said.
Director of Pakistan Institute of China Studies Dr Fazlur Rahman said that the population was increasing rapidly in Pakistan, which was an alarming situation for the security of this country and the nation, It has to be used in the best way so that we could solve the problem of food shortage in the present and in the future in a better way,he added.
In the second session of debate, experts presented various suggestions on the causes of food shortage and how to deal with it.
A question and answer session was also organised during the discussion, in which students asked various questions to experts.
At the end of the ceremony, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Qaiser Abbas gave away souvenirs to the guests.