Fight against locusts: 8,000 Army personnel helping civil authorities, NA told

ISLAMABAD: As the parliamentarians from the government and opposition benches termed locust attack on crops in Pakistan a national disaster, the government informed the National Assembly on Monday that 8,000 officers and Jawans of Pakistan Army were also assisting the civil authorities in fight against the attack.

The members from both sides expressed serious concerns over locust attack in various areas of the agriculture land, which they observed may lead to threat to food security in this part of the world. PPP parliamentarian Syed Naveed Qamar called for immediate start of spray to protect crops against the locust attack

The PTI parliamentarian Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel came harsh on his government saying no steps were taken to protect crops against locust attack. He said that locust had destroyed a major part of crops. “Whether the aliens will reach to protect our crops,” he said.

Minister for Food Security Syed Fakhr Imam said the concerned civil authorities were equipped with only three aircraft with one pilot to carry out spray in affected areas saying the fourth aircraft had already crashed. The government had also approved procurement of five aircraft.

However, he said the Pakistan Army is supporting the civil authorities with five helicopters and 8,000 personnel including officers and Jawans. He informed the House that China had also assisted Pakistan with equipment worth $45 million to while the friendly country would also provide drones for the purpose.

The PPP parliamentarian Syed Naveed Qamar while speaking on the calling attention notice said every crop and tree in the country would be target of the locust attack but the government could not find a solution despite changing three ministers for food security. “Asif Zardari raised the issue in his budget speech last year but the government never showed seriousness,” he said.

He said they trust in words of Fakhr Iman but he was late in taking practical measures saying the damages to crops could be minimised with immediate start of spray. Observing that the world was making plans for food security whereas the Pakistan government has not been able to protect farmers’ community. “The government should deal with locust attack on emergency basis,” he said. The PTI parliamentarian Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel criticised his own government for not taking sufficient steps to protect interests of farmers.

He questioned as to where agriculture policies of the government were. “The farmers are being arrested from their houses after they have been forced to come out on roads,” he said. Riaz Hussain Pirzada of PML-N said that locust attack had become a major problem of the country. He said that many districts of Sindh and South Punjab have been attacked by locust, which now was moving towards Dera Ismail Khan via Layyah, Bhakkar and Mianwali.

The House also witnessed protest from government’s back benchers against not getting time to speak on different issues. The protesting members including Junain Akbar, Faheem Khan and Afzal Dhandla as they also staged token walkout after tearing copies of order of the day.

Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan informed the House that action had been ordered against those who were trying to create artificial shortage of petroleum products. “I am very clear in saying that there is no shortage of petroleum products in the country,” he said.

Omar Ayub said the government was committed to take action against mafia while the FIA had also been directed to check petrol pumps saying that licences of those involved in creating shortage petroleum products would be cancelled.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) sought explanation from the government over missing of Azad Kashmir on Pakistan’s map which was shown during a programme of the state-run television, the other day.

Speaking on a point of order in the National Assembly, the PML-N parliamentarian Mian Javed Latif said if that was a mistake, an explanation should come up within 24 hours. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan gives sermon on Kashmir issue every day but the government has not been able to give a Kashmir policy.