COAS General Syed Asim Munir addresses Green Pakistan Initiative conference  Says concept of complete sovereignty not possible without economic stability  Efforts of those who obstruct Pakistan’s development journey will fail   Negative propaganda and social media trolls will not be able to distract from working towards nation’s prosperity, development.

ISLAMABAD  -  Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI) conference was held Friday in which Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for National Food Security Mr Rana Tanveer Hussain and General Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) graced the occasion. The civil and military officials involved in the national undertaking also attended the conference.

The forum was briefed about the multi-faceted GPI initiatives and significant benchmarks achieved in a short span of time, says a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The initiatives presented before the forum included, inter alia, establishment of model farms, water management schemes, technology innovations and investment partnerships aimed at ensuring food security and enhancing agricultural productivity in Pakistan.

The federal ministers, while concluding the session lauded this transformative initiative and underscored that agriculture is the lifeline of Pakistan. They hoped that GPI would introduce contemporary best practices in Pakistan’s agriculture sector. While addressing the conference, COAS remarked that “Pakistan is a blessed land with an industrious and resilient nation which needs to come together for national development”.

COAS assured that “Pakistan Army will continue to provide all possible support for the economic development of Pakistan and underscored that the Army’s efforts would contribute towards comprehensive national security and collective good of the nation.”

The state-owned PTV News reported the army chief warned all those who were trying to stop the country from progressing that their efforts would be wasted. “In today’s era, the concept of complete sovereignty is not possible without economic stability,” he added. “No instability will be tolerated in Pakistan’s journey towards prosperity and development,” he said. “Let us all reject negative forces together and focus on Pakistan’s journey of development and stability.”

In his address, the army chief also said: “We are all a united team. God willing, with the cooperation and support of the people, the efforts of those who distract and obstruct Pakistan’s development journey will fail.” He said “negative propaganda and social media trolls” would not be able to distract from working towards the nation’s prosperity and development.

The government’s Green Pakistan Initiative is aimed at introducing the latest farming on 4.4 million acres of land across Pakistan. The federal government is eyeing to fetch around $40 billion during the next five years through the agricultural initiative and hopes to create four million jobs through the process.

The initiative seeks to revolutionize agriculture sector with the help of the armed forces and the promised partnerships of friendly countries. The initiative was launched at the National Seminar on Food Security and Agriculture in July last year and the Army Chief had assured the military’s full support in this regard.