RAWALPINDI: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that for the first time in the country’s history civil-military relations have improved in the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government, saying it has a positive impact on the country’s economy.

He was speaking to reporters after laying the foundation stone of National Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and solarisation project at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, on Friday.

“We are working to manufacture drones with the help of the country’s armed forces and it will be used for improvement in the agriculture sector. The drones will help the farmers to check crops,” he said.

He said the government was able to manufacture military tanks but failed to assemble mobile phones and cars. “Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to get technology to manufacture all products which we are importing,” he said.

Says govt is working to manufacture drones for agriculture

Supporting the appointment of retired Justice Azmat Saeed as head of the Broadsheet probe body, Fawad Chaudhry said that the opposition wanted former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chau­dhry and retired Justice Malik Qayyum like characters to investigate corruption cases involving their leadership.

“The government formed the inquiry committee to investigate the Broadsheet scandal and named retired Justice Azmat Saeed as head of the probe body who is a respectable and competent personality. There is no government minister in the committee which is proof that it will hold an impartial inquiry,” he added.

He said the opposition was worried about their corruption money. Claiming that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz wears expensive designers’ clothes in every public meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he asked from where she got the money for such pricey clothes.

Smart technology

Earlier, speaking at the function, the minister said the federal and Punjab governments were committed to utilising all resources to introduce smart technology in agriculture and other sectors.

He said that the federal and Punjab governments were committed to development of the agriculture sector and allied industries. The present government is striving for promotion of science and technology and, therefore, it is committed to utilising all resources to introduce smart technology in agriculture and other sectors. He said Pakistan was an agricultural country and it was essential for the development of the country that the agro-based industry be established on a scientific basis.

The establishment of the National Cen­tre for Industrial Biotechnology (NCIB) at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University will enable research on manufacturing of medicines and other products from plants and microscopic organisms. It will be possible to meet them and even earn significant foreign exchange from their exports, he said.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi said that the working on biotechnology, precision agriculture and the establishment of the National Centre for Industrial Biotech­nology will be helpful in introducing smart technology in agriculture, especially in the field of agricultural engineering.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2021