By Our Correspondent
LAHORE, Jan 31: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority (PAFDA) was not merely a structure of steel and cement but a “game changer” that would benefit not only Punjab but the entire country.
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Addressing the inaugural ceremony of PAFDA, the chief minister said the vision of establishing the authority was first conceived by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif during his tenure as chief minister and “today that vision has taken a practical shape”.
She said the purpose of establishing state-of-the-art laboratories was to ensure justice and quality at every doorstep. “When Shehbaz Sharif’s legacy is mentioned, it is a matter of pride and a medal for me,” she remarked, adding that she had learned the values of hard work and merit from him.
The chief minister said 42 machines for PAFDA had already arrived, while 565 more are in the pipeline and the procurement process would be completed next month.
She said that under the concept of a Safe Punjab, satellite crime scene units were being established in all 38 districts to ensure that evidence was preserved and not lost.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif said PAFDA would have the capacity to test cosmetics, orthopaedic implants, soil fertility and other items. Fertiliser, food, drugs and even animal feed would also be tested at the authority.
She said PAFDA had 232 scientists, including over 100 gold medallists and 28 PhD holders, while 70 per cent of its scientists are women. She added that the authority was receiving technical assistance and collaboration from USAD, Switzerland-based GAIN and New Zealand’s CABI.
Referring to exports, the chief minister said consignments were often rejected due to quality issues, and PAFDA would set national and international standards to ensure that only quality products were exported. She said the authority’s establishment would benefit both exports and local consumers by ensuring the availability of quality products.
She stressed that food items or medicines unfit for export should also not be used locally.
The chief minister also announced the establishment of the first women scientists’ hostel with accommodation for 300 women. She said e-tendering, e-procurement and e-business systems had been introduced in Punjab, and more than 23,000 businesspersons had been granted online, faceless approvals.
She said drones were now dispatched even before police in case of incidents, adding that drone-based digital monitoring had been used during firefighting operations. She added that women in distress no longer needed to visit police stations, as police operating under the 15 helpline reached them directly.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif said artificial intelligence was being utilised for traffic management, child protection and other sectors, and from April, AI education would be made mandatory in all schools across Punjab.
She said the establishment of satellite crime scene units would ensure the protection of evidence, and termed Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif the architect of a modern Punjab and a modern Pakistan.
