Islamabad: Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has said that the rapid conversion of agricultural lands into residential societies in the country has become a serious problem and this process is seriously endangering Pakistan’s food security.
Chairing a high-level meeting held in Islamabad, which was attended by representatives of the CDA, federal and provincial institutions and relevant ministries, Ahsan Iqbal said that tough decisions have now become inevitable to ensure food supply to future generations.
He stressed that immediate attention should be paid to vertical construction in Islamabad and strict rules should be introduced on cutting trees to maintain ecological balance.
Ahsan Iqbal said that the provincial governments should collect accurate data on how much agricultural land has been destroyed by housing schemes in the last 20 years. Growing cities without urban planning are not only causing a crisis in basic amenities but have also become a threat to the environment and food security.
He said that the uncontrolled greed for housing is swallowing agricultural lands, and it is time for us to formulate legislation and a National Urban Development Framework so that agricultural lands can be protected.
