FAISALABAD City News

Australian HC underlines importance

of Faisalabad as textile hub of Pakistan

From Our Correspondent

FAISALABAD: Development of agriculture value chain is imperative for successful economic development of Pakistan and in this connection, Australia is already helping Pakistan for processing of exotic Pakistani fruit mango while value chain related projects for other crops could also be initiated in the next phase of bilateral cooperation, said Australian High Commissioner Margaret Adamson.

Addressing the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here on Thursday, she said that Pakistan and Australia were both agriculture countries. Australia lacked human resources, however, it had developed value chain of its agriculture products with modern and latest technologies and it was in this context that Australia was exporting its high value agriculture products throughout the world, she added.

Regarding education sector, she said that Australian government was extending liberal scholarships to the Pakistani students and at the moment more than 15,000 students were studying in various universities of Australia. In view of specific needs of Pakistan, Australia could also help Pakistan in capacity building by launching short courses relating to technical and vocational education, she added.

Margaret Adamson further said that successful economic development was directly related with the private sector. She said that the role of government was only to provide regulatory framework and help private sector to contribute its role in the overall development of the country. She said that there were also bright prospects of cooperation in the fields of tourism, hospitality, energy, renewable energy, information technology and research and development projects. She also underlined the importance of Faisalabad as textile hub of Pakistan and said that local entrepreneurs should now focus on the development of fashion garment industry which could fetch billions of dollars from Australia as well as other western countries.

Earlier, FCCI acting president Syed Zia Alamdar Hussain, in his welcome address, said that Pakistan and Australia enjoyed cordial relations and had common perception about most of the international political and economic issues. He particularly mentioned Australia’s generous support for the rehabilitation of flood and earthquake affectees.

 

Australia amongst popular

destinations for Pakistani students

From Our Correspondent

FAISALABAD: Australian High Commissioner Margaret Adamson has said that Pakistan and Australia enjoy historical relations that will be further strengthened especially in academic and agriculture sectors to address the issue of poverty and food security.

She was talking to UAF VC Dr Iqrar Ahmad during her visit to the university spring festival. She called for strengthening linkages in the area of research to address the problems of agriculture and water scarcity. She said that Australia was amongst the popular destinations for Pakistani undergraduate and postgraduate students. Under the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), initiatives were taken to strengthen the sectors in Pakistan, especially in dairy, citrus, mango, value addition and other areas in Pakistan, she added.

UAF VC Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the UAF was enjoying relations with the Australia. He said that they were working with the University of Sydney, Australia, to develop wheat hybrid seed first time in Pakistan that would be more resilient to climate changes. Under the ACIAR programme, the UAF was partnered with Australia in mango, citrus, tomato and social research, he added.

He said that 32 faculty members of the UAF had completed the post doctorate from Australia whereas five were perusing post doctorate degrees. He was of the view that Pakistan-Australia strengthened ties would open up new horizon of the progress. Australian Commission for International Agricultural Research Chairman Don Heatley and others were also present on the occasion.