ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said the government would fully support every effort to highlight the true image of the country and promote real culture.

“Our foremost priority is to highlight Pakistanism, and protecting and promoting the culture and values of our society,” the prime minister said while presiding over a meeting on the revival of Pakistani film industry and cinema.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, SAPM Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, Information Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani, Faraz Chaudhry, Peer Saad Ahsanuddin and Zaurez Lashari attended the meeting.

The participants of the meeting presented various suggestions to the prime minister regarding the promotion of film industry and cinema in the country.

Provinces assured of support to deal with locusts attack

Speaking to Dawn, Mr Lashari said a second meeting would be held on Saturday (today) in Lahore with the culture secretary, film producers, directors and cinema owners to recommend measures to resolve issues being faced by the industry.

Locusts attack

Meanwhile, the Centre on Friday assured four provinces of its all-out support to combat swarms of locusts currently attacking and badly hit the agriculture sector by ruining ripped crops, especially in Sindh and Punjab.

The assurance was given by Prime Minister Imran Khan to the chief ministers who were attending a separate high-level meeting at the Prime Minister Office through video link. According to the PM Office, the meeting reviewed steps taken to exterminate the pest.

The meeting was attended by Minister for National Food Security Khusro Bakhtyar, Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, SAPM on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan and other senior officials. All the four chief ministers gave their input through the video link.

Meanwhile, in a separate meeting with National Disaster Management Authority chairman Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing said that necessary insecticides weighing 300 tonnes would arrive in Pakistan from China next week.

He said China would provide anti-locust spray and machinery to Pakistan in three phases. Yao Jing said Chinese technicians would also train Pakistani workers in the use of spray machinery.

Speaking on the occasion, the NDMA chairman said China could help Pakistan control locust and establish an emergency air ambulance service.

Earlier, the government in a federal cabinet’s meeting had decided to import insecticides from India to kill swarms of locusts, but the cabinet in its meeting on Tuesday changed its decision and decided not to import anything from India due to Indian government’s anti-Muslim aggression these days not only in occupied Kashmir but also all over India.

During the meeting, the prime minister was informed that special committees had been formed for implementation of National Action Plan on locusts, liaison between the provinces and the Centre, surveillance, monitoring and awareness.

The meeting was informed that an apex committee on locusts had also been constituted and a control room had been established at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

The national food security secretary apprised the meeting of the steps being taken to eradicate the insect and coordinate with the Chinese government in this regard.

The prime minster was informed that like other provinces special emphasis was being given on keeping close coordination with the Balochistan government.

The chief ministers of the four provinces gave details about the provision of funds and presented suggestions to eliminate the swarms of locusts.

Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister said the federal government was well aware about the gravity of the situation and stressed the need for better coordination between the Centre and the provinces to win the fight against locusts.

He assured the provinces that the federal government would provide all resources to the provinces to kill the swarms of locusts.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2020