Food security directly linked to national security: Rana Tanveer

LAHORE, Oct 08 (APP): Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain has said that food security is of paramount importance and that national security cannot be fully ensured without ensuring food availability in the country.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of the National Rescue Challenge 2026 here on Thursday, he said, “Food security is directly linked to national security, stressing that ensuring the development of the agriculture sector is the government’s top priority.”

He said Pakistan was an agricultural country and, by the grace of Allah, The Almighty, was not only meeting the food requirements of its population of around 260 million but also exporting various agricultural commodities, including rice, maize and potatoes.

The minister said Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was according special attention to the agriculture sector and that concerted efforts were being made for its development.

He said modern technologies were being introduced in agriculture, livestock and other allied sectors, while work was also under way to develop improved and climate-resilient seed varieties to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Rana Tanveer said Pakistan had been significantly affected by climate change despite having a negligible share in global carbon emissions. He stressed the need to promote modern technologies and climate-resilient agricultural practices to address the growing challenges.

He said Pakistan was bearing the brunt of rising temperatures and climate change, which had increased the country’s vulnerability to floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters. He warned that the impacts of climate change were likely to persist in the coming years.

The federal minister said the international community had pledged financial assistance to Pakistan to help it cope with climate-related challenges, but a substantial portion of the promised support had yet to materialise. He urged the international community to honour its commitments and extend the required assistance to Pakistan.

Appreciating the services of rescue organisations, Rana Tanveer said rescue personnel had saved millions of people during natural disasters, evacuated stranded people from flood-hit areas to safer locations and saved precious lives.

He said rescue services needed to be further strengthened and equipped to deal with the growing challenges posed by climate change. The rescue organisations were already making significant efforts in this regard, he added, stressing the need to further enhance their operational capacity.

The minister urged other provinces to study the model of Punjab’s Emergency Services Academy and rescue setup and replicate it in their respective areas to establish exemplary emergency response systems.

He stressed the need to modernise rescue services in line with international standards and provide them with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.