Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday principally approved the second phase of National Action Plan for Locust Control deciding that the affected farmers would also be compensated through this package.

In a briefing to him during his visit to National Locust Control Center (NLCC) in Islamabad, the prime minister said the government would undertake every possible effort for locust control since it involved country’s food security.

Federal ministers Syed Fakhar Imam, Asad Umar, Senator Shibli Faraz, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Finance Advisor Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, SAPMs Lt-Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa and Dr Shahbaz Gill, Chairman NDMA and senior officers attended the briefing.

Chief Ministers of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and chief secretary of Balochistan participated via video link.

Imran Khan said the locust attack combined with COVID-19 was a huge challenge for Pakistan and emphasized a coordinated national response of federal and provincial governments and organisations to cope with the expected locust swarm to protect crops.

The meeting was told that the first phase of the National Action Plan for Locust Control had been completed.

Engineer-in-Chief Pakistan Army/National Coordinator NLCC Lt-Gen Moazzam Ijaz gave a detailed briefing on locust control measures in affected areas of the country.

The prime minister was also briefed about the coordinated efforts being made for monitoring, survey and control, inter-organizational coordination, resource allocation & mobilization and awareness campaign for locust control at national, provincial and district level.

The meeting was informed that due to the trans-boundary nature of locust swarm movement; close liaison with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and affected countries in the region was being maintained to take timely pre-emptive measures.

The prime minister appreciated the governments of China, Japan and the UK for providing technical and other assistance for locust control.

It was informed that a locust swarm movement is expected from the Horn of Africa via Iran and another from India, for which necessary measures were in place.

The prime minister appreciated the timely and coordinated response of federal and provincial governments, including Pakistan Army for effectively controlling locust attack and use of indigenously developed equipment.–APP