By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday called for adopting modern beekeeping techniques to enhance the yield and quality of organic honey produced in Pakistan.
He said the government would encourage and facilitate beekeepers by providing them loans under Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan Program in addition to imparting advanced training in training institutes like National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA). The president gave these remarks while chairing a follow-up meeting on beekeeping and honey production at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The meeting was attended by All Pakistan Bee Keepers and Honey Dealers Association President (APBKHDA) Naeem Qasmi, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council Chairman Dr Muhammad Azeem Khan, KP Environment and Wildlife Department Secretary of Forestry Islam Zaib, Secretary Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Department of KPK Muhammad Israr and other senior officials of the government of Pakistan.
The president said Pakistan had enormous potential to be one of the largest producers of honey as its climate and vegetation were suited to the production of premium quality honey. He underscored the need for strengthening and improving the beekeeping sector as it had great potential to provide employment to the people as well as earn foreign exchange.
He expressed the hope that the government’s Ten Billion Tree Tsunami program would help improve the beekeeping environment of the country to enhance the production of quality honey.
The President asked the relevant stakeholders to address the issues of the beekeeping sector enabling them to increase the production and exports of honey. He also asked the stakeholders to initiate steps for facilitating and guiding the beekeepers by arranging training courses and workshops for them.
Naeem Qasmi briefed the meeting about the issues faced by the beekeepers and highlighted the activities being undertaken by the association for the promotion of beekeeping in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, President Dr. Arif Alvi on Tuesday asked the Chairman of Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to play his role in ensuring the protection and promotion of women’s rights, particularly their right to inheritance.
Talking to Chairman CII Dr. Qibla Ayaz, here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the president said CII could play significant role, through Ulema and prayer leaders, to address the cultural hindrances faced by women in Pakistan with regard to their social and economic rights. The President stated that the religion Islam had granted social and economic rights to women but unfortunately the cultural hindrances kept them deprived of their rights.
He said the government had enacted a law to protect women’s property rights and ensure that such rights are not violated. He underscored the need for sensitizing the people about the rights of women particularly their rights to inheritance.
