THE weakest link in agriculture is the extension services. There are others as well but one can argue that what is important is that knowledge is not being imparted to the farmers. Given the current poor food security systems, short-term options are needed.

Currently the institutional arrangements are in the Agricultural Training Institutes [ATI]. These in the Punjab are located at Rahim Yarkhan, Sargodha, and Rawalpindi. These are pock marked in other provinces as well but these are under neglect at the moment. Their intake is intermediate and the students take one year’s training in these institutes and then pass out as Field Assistants (FA).

They take on jobs in grade six and after considerable time (roughly 17 years) become FA in grade nine and then they die in that position. No in service training is imparted and no effort is made to augment their abilities or lack of the same.

Fear of risks in doing business with the powerful landed gentry is inhibiting private insurance companies to go in a big way for crop insurance. Nonetheless, the public sector National Insurance Company (NICL) has evolved three crop insurance products (tied to bank credit) for whose launch negotiations are going on with the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) The NBP and ZTBL are two big lenders which are set to offer Rs92 billion loans to farmers in the current fiscal year.

“We planned to offer insurance cover to farmers-borrowers of NBP and ZTBL for kharif crops this year’’ informed Mr Abid Javed, the NICL Chairman and Chief Executive. But for lack of finalisation of a re-insurance cover, the NICL is expected to offer crop insurance for next Kharif–in June or July 2008– when sowing season begins. The NICL Chairman, leaving soon for Europe, is confident of formalising re-insurance coverage in the next few weeks.

To begin with, the crop insurance will be offered to selected farmers to cover a maximum amount of Rs2 million against natural perils, like diseases, pest infestations, fire, theft and the accidental death of the borrower who was given insurance coverage. In the initial period, this coverage will be confined to the selected districts in the provinces.

Losses caused by malicious acts will be excluded from the crop insurance compensation, as much of the crop and livestock losses come from such acts’’, explained a chief executive of a private insurance company who is designing crop insurance policy in co-operation with other companies/banks under the supervision of the State Bank of Pakistan.

“Malicious acts are far more rampant than natural disasters’’, he contended. while explaining that political vendetta is a sort of feudal culture. A powerful landlord misses no opportunity to damage crops and livestock of his rival farmer by stealing-putting on fire and other means.

“Farmers inflate their losses in event of drought, rainfalls, floods and other natural disasters’’ a business executive of another insurance company said. It is impossible to carry out a survey of losses in the rural areas as the industry has not developed such a survey discipline. Presently, the insurance business depends largely on officials who lack skills and competence and whose integrity is doubtful. Also excluded from the NICL compensation scheme are losses caused due to war, price fluctuation and impact of the measures taken by the government in public interest.

Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah, the Chairman of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture is happy over the NICL crop insurance scheme with a premium of 1.25-1.75 per cent on the sum insured. ‘’We do not want insurance coverage from private financial companies as dealing with them is full of hassles, he explained. . While the public sector NICL designed its crop insurance scheme, the five top other insurance companies–Adamjee Insurance, Eastern Federal Insurance, New Jubilee Insurance, United Insurance and East West Insurance — are also involved in a similar exercise. A task force has been set up with the President of Habib Bank Mr Zakir Mahmud as chairman to work out a blue print for the scheme. It includes officials from the federal ministry of agriculture, Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah, officials of other banks and insurance companies.

A presentation was made to the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan sometimes late August. ‘’The Governor asked the task force to come up with a more comprehensive risk management and financial model’,’ a business executive of an insurance company said.

The task force however asked the State Bank to give them the details about the disbursement of agricultural bank loans and recoveries of at least ten years, ‘’We want to know the ratio of loan defaults and causes’’, he said. According to the insurance companies, the State Bank of Pakistan took a long time. The data was supplied to them only this week. Insurance companies’ executives are not sure how relevant this data is to their requirements. ‘’We want to analyse the causes of farm loan defaults to develop an empirical model for our insurance crop scheme,’’ an insurance officer said.

Insurance companies are asking for government subsidy to run the scheme as it has to do more as a social objective than as a business orientation. They have asked for two to four per cent premium which when added with about 12 per cent interest rate on bank loan will put a burden of 16 per cent on a farmer It is for this reason that Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah opts for NICL insurance scheme over private firms..

At present two private insurance companies– East West and United Insurance– offer such a coverage to farmers on a very limited scale. The former operats through Askari Bank– a venture of retired army officials. It goes without saying that Askari Banks generally offer loan facilities to retired servicemen engaged in farming. The United Bank operates through Bank of Punjab that has relatively a big portfolio of farm loans. In the current fiscal year, Bank of Punjab intends to offer Rs5.5 billion loans while Askari Rs4 billion. More than Rs7.3 billion out of Rs9.5 billion being offered by these two banks in 2007-08 will be given to farmers in Punjab.

However no information is available as what have been the experiences of these two companies, the field of crop insurance for last few years. The crop insurance operations of these two companies are very limited and confined to selected farmers. .

The private insurance firms are cautious and they want any crop insurance scheme to be ‘’compulsory, mandatory and linked to agricultural loans for crops,’’ an official of a big privatised bank said. Banks are now set to give Rs200 billion loans to farmers in the current fiscal year of which about Rs150 billion will go for farming. It is a huge portfolio for which private firms will have to seek international re-insurance coverage.

Abid Javed calls crop insurance the biggest challenge of his career as he recalls that three official attempts were made in the past that failed to make any headway as they relied heavily on subsidy. ‘’We have developed our products purely on commercial lines, ‘’ he made it clear. The scheme insures agricultural loan for a farmer to the extent of its exposure and provides the crop against natural calamity and other risks. Such a coverage, he is confident will encourage banks to extend their loan coverage to farms and also to consider bringing down interest rate from 12 per cent.

He disclosed that the first crop insurance product is being backed up by Swiss Re, an AA security that would cover natural and atmospheric perils and will be available to farmers through loaning bank at 1.25 per cent. The second product is more comprehensive in nature and will cover crops and livestock. Premium rates are between 1.5–1.75 per cent and provide coverage against pests, locusts, and other viral diseases. This scheme is supported by Lloyds syndicate. The third product is much more comprehensive and is being offered from NICL’s own resources. Farmers of selected districts of four provinces will be offered this scheme. Claims, he said, will be assessed by specially designated two top surveyors.

With three products of crop insurance scheme, the NICL has developed four products of micro finance being introduced in the rural areas that provide compensation for loss of life, health and of the asset of the poor man in the village.
.

Courtesy: Business Recorder

By Muhammad Sabir

THE geographical information system (GIS), a digital mapping system with computer. It helps manage agriculture by storing, retrieving, manipulating, analysing and displaying information through maps. Its key components are computer system, geospatial data and users.

Farmers can increase production, reduce input costs, and manage the land more efficiently by using the GIS. Mapping in the field with micro computer to scientific analysis of production data in the farm manager’s office can be easily performed with the help of the GIS system.ArcPad software can be used on handheld computers in the field for the creation, visualization, and interpretation of data. Farmers can indicate stresses the crop faces like pest infestations, nutrient deficiencies, and water shortages by making maps with the GIS. These stresses are highlighted on the ArcPad map and the information is stored in a format that is usable in other software products. By collecting such data in the field, solutions can be devised and preventative measures outlined.

As weather is a key component in agricultural production, weather updates can be seen on the Internet via a handheld telephone or Wide Area Network (WAN). ArcPad has a developer’s toolkit that allows customized applications that provide field-workers simple forms to fill in that automatically create data attributes. It was really cumbersome to create necessary data sets for the field or subfield level but now this task has become easy with the help of ArcPad. ArcPad is the farmer’s modern shirt pocket notepad. Farmer’s will be able to collect whatever information is relevant to them at that moment and enter it to its proper field location through maps.

The GIS requires access to different data and fully integrated computer system for easy decision making. Arial photographs are in use in agriculture since long however, with the adoption of the GIS, these can be used more effectively. Such data is generally raster based, that is to say, made up of a patchwork of discrete cells or pixels. Data layers that are made up of points, lines, and polygons are known as vector data. Raster data can be combined with vector data, but it requires different tools for management and interpretation. The ArcView Image Analysis extension provides the farmer with the necessary tools to carry out simple procedures that greatly increase the return on investments made in satellite images or aerial photographs. This can be used to estimate crop yields, assessment of the areas that are suffering from different stress perhaps caused by a specific pest, and the identification of areas of land suffering from soil erosion.

Field data collection takes the form of single points that need to be processed to achieve what is known as a continual data layer. Interpolation describes this process of taking many single points and creating a complete surface, the gaps being filled based on the spatial statistics of the original points. Such points might include crop yield data collected from a combine harvester, soil samples collected manually throughout a farm, or water quality information collected from watering points or wells. Interpolating these points will produce more useful information for the farmer such as crop yield maps, soil chemistry maps, and maps related to water chemical content, for example the degree of nitrate contamination.

Once the farm analyst has identified the agronomically troubled areas of fields, he or she can use ArcView Spatial Analyst to look for relationships in the data. Yield monitor data maps indicate the low yield at some area and relationship between the low yield and different factors in the field can be established with help of Arch View Spatial Analyst. Factors causing the low yield may be slope, moisture, fertility, or poor pesticide performance. These factors can be managed in proper way to increase the yield.

Progressive farmers and managers who need additional data interpolation support for variable rate technology (VRT) farming will be assisted by the ability to customize ArcView Spatial Analyst. The VRT farming can be adopted by using the Avenue programming language and Model Builder. Model Builder is a powerful, graphically driven tool that allows farmers to create and test different land use scenarios before actually implementing them. For example, a farmer could calculate the potential economic yield for a harvested crop before actually planting it.

If you have not used the GIS, then consider starting with the Model Builder. It allows the user to undertake agronomic analyses without extensive GIS training. Another feature of the Model Builder is its documentation function. A farmer, an agronomist, and an agricultural economist could all look at the same farm management situation and solve it in three different ways. The Model Builder documents each sequential spatial operator and process used. This allows the three users to compare each others’ models. The ability to interpolate point information is necessary for carrying out such tasks as hydrological modelling, land/crop suitability studies, or predicting crop yields. All these activities and more can be made possible by using ArcView Spatial Analyst.

Agriculture is no more a way of earning one’s livelihood but is now a business. Knowledge of accounting, agricultural legislation, subsidy guidelines, taxation regulations, and, crop insurance are important for progressive farmers to harvest maximum benefit.

To interpret all this information is cumbersome job but if all the data is available as a series of maps, each one telling a specific story to a specialized audience; then the system would become more efficient and productive. One of the most obvious and immediate outputs from a farm GIS is maps that provide with new insight. Planning applications, filing tax returns, and claiming crop subsidies are available in the form of maps. ArcView delivers a professional standard map production capability and is certainly a cost-effective solution.

Detailed schedules for field-workers can be assisted by instructing them to use both maps and written instructions. This also gives the benefit to the manager of cost accountability, and if necessary, the means to measure staff efficiency based on planned performance evaluations.

Precision farming uses precise data to map the yield of various crops at the subfield scale; the aim being to increase yields by applying crop inputs, pesticides, fertilisers, and irrigation water at an optimum level. Once calculated and reported in the form of an interpolated map layer, the data needs to be translated into a format that the variable rate technology (VRT) electronic controller can use. The application field implements can use this field prescription to add field inputs only where they are required. ArcView can export such outputs in industry-standard formats and also supports the programming of additional modules should the case arise.

The GIS is being used for agricultural resources management on sustainable basis. It makes soil management less tedious and less costly by collecting a wider spectrum of data in short time. Conventional surveys of soil erosion in the field are costly in time and labour. The GIS-assisted physical models are now available which can predict where erosion “hot-spots” are likely to occur. Road construction is also important. The model could thus be used to identify sites which are vulnerable to erosion, and where conservation measures are needed.

Efforts should be made to adopt the GIS, with the aim of counteracting the negative effects of development, such as soil erosion, soil salinity, soil pollution and flooding. Unless these can be reversed, they will cumulatively reduce the carrying capacity of land and soil resources over the years. The GIS is a significant tool to manage soil resource sustainably, restoring their productivity for future generations.

The GIS could also be used in predicting the effects of surface cover on the discharge of water and soil sediments from the catchment area. The rate of soil and water loss from bare soil is compared to vegetative cover with minimum conservation measures, the same cover with full conservation measures, and forest cover. The GIS can be used to help small-scale farmers to improve their fertiliser applications. Decision support systems can be developed which will be able to provide site-specific fertiliser recommendations.

The GIS can improve the understanding of farming areas, help promote agricultural development and assist in identifying and handling issues important to strengthening farming.

Courtesy: The Dawn

DR ZAFAR HASSAN

LAHORE (January 15 2010): With New York cotton futures (ICE) range bound and local yarn facing slower demand with sales close to a stalled mode, domestic lint prices are just surfing at almost the same levels since the last week or so. After attaining the highest recorded lint price of Rs 4,800 per maund (37.32 kgs) on January 05, 2010, fibre prices came down slowly over the last 10 days but remain pegged at Rs 4,700 per maund for the top class of cottons.

Indeed one sale of cotton from Punjab was reported on Thursday at Rs 4,800 per maund but it was unclear if the deal was struck on cash or credit basis. After much of representations to the government by the value-added sector of textiles in Pakistan that the yarn prices had shot up excessively and its availability had dwindled and with the spinners retorting that any untoward restriction on the spinning industry would damage it severely, the government finally came up with a decision to cap yarn export of all counts to 50 million kiliogrammes per month for the next six months.

Both the value-added sector of textiles and the spinners have expressed reservations or dissatisfaction with the government decision. However, the boiling issue of increasing yarn prices on the one hand, and the regular rise in raw cotton and input prices pitting the downstream industry against the spinners, seems to have somewhat simmered down.

Though the value-added textile sector has appreciated government’s decision to cap monthly exports of yarn from Pakistan of all counts of yarn to 50 million kgs, but they have also regretted that only counts up to 32 single should have been included and the permissible export quantity should have only been 40.59 million kgs per month.

On its part, the chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Anwar Tata, said early this week that with power and gas shortages again pestering the textile industry coupled with very high cotton prices, it is unimaginable how regular supply of cotton yarn can be assured at earlier prices.

Moreover, Anwar Tata stressed that government intervention in spinning industry is undesirable because in the long term both the spinners and the value-added textile manufacturers will suffer badly. Chairman APTMA reiterated that his Association favours free trade and conditions like registration of yarn export contracts will hurt the entire cotton economy including the growers, the ginners, the spinners and last not least the value-added sector.

Thus the cotton and textile markets are currently going through a quiet phase but hopefully all the sectors of the cotton economy should revive soon. Apparently, the government has chosen a via media to even out the problems of both the value-added as well as the spinning sectors for the time being.

Under the circumstances, a condition of lull appears to be captivating the cotton trade as business activity has regressed. Sales volume of cotton has thus reduced at present. On a nominal basis, brokers in Karachi said that seedcotton prices on Thursday ranged from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,300 per 40 kgs in both Sindh and Punjab. Similarly, lint prices in both Sindh and Punjab reportedly ranged between Rs 4,500 to Rs 4,700 per maund (37.32 kgs).

Sales of cotton from Punjab comprised of 400 bales from Bahawalnagar at Rs 4,500 per maund (37.32 kgs), while a sale of 2,400 bales from Rajanpur at Rs 4,800 per maund was reported but sources could not disclose whether this sale was on cash or credit basis, mostly traders were believing that it should likely to be on credit basis. Exporters were occasional buyers and thus did not appear to be very active on the market. Textile sources added that yarn market has also stalled with low demand for yarns appearing in the market.

In the evening, rumours were rife in the market that being unhappy with the state of affairs of their industry, textile mill owners were seeking appointment with President Asif Ali Zardari to apprise him of their problems personally in a bid to seek relief for their industry.

According to trade estimates, the current cotton crop in Pakistan should attain a figure of at least 13 million running bales of domestic size on an ex-gin basis against the upward revision of government target by the Cotton Assessment Committee last week at 12.7 million bales. Mills continue to be hopeful to consume between 15.25 million to 15.50 million domestic size bales during the current season (August 2009-July 2010).

The balance amount of cotton will have to be imported to meet the deficit. On the foreign financial and economic front, the underlying fragility of the global economic conditions remained fearsome. Now more and more assessors and evaluators are worried that from China to Europe to the United States as well as in most of the Asian economic, the artificial economic props created by stimulus packages and various other radical measures will not hold the edifice of the existing economic structure for long.

In this regard, more pain and penury is now being forecast and any beginning of an economic recovery has been shifted from 2010 to the year 2011. In Japan the icon Japan Air Lines (JAL) is reported to be going bust. Now America is expected to follow suit on the United Kingdom pattern to tax bonuses awarded by the recalcitrant and impenitent bankers to themselves. United States is also enquiring into the role of the bankers there who are reported to have admitted to their mistakes in giving credit to borrowers without really examining their worth or propensity to pay back. Thus the sub prime and mortgage debacles of the past two or three years.

Japanese exports may be reviving but its manufacturing sector is sagging. Chinese economy is overheating giving rise to a feeling that its overinflated real estate prices may crumble soon.

The world is watching that due to its near bankrupt condition, Greece will ease out of the Euro fraternity. It has been reported that with easy money thrown away by the various governments during 2009, property prices may crumble at the slightest provocation. The enthusiastic investors who had been relying on credible improvements in the global economy are now facing possible busts of several sectors of their various economies. No doubt China has become the world’s largest exporter surpassing Germany, but nebulous recovery plans and depleting means of most countries around the world are increasing the possibilities of a global trade, exports and business breakdown which could take a number of decades to recover again.

Courtesy Business Recorder

ISLAMABAD (APP) (January 28 2010): AZUR Energy Group of Germany would set up a 50 Mega Watt Solar project in Pakistan and a feasibility report in this regard has already been formulated. This was told by a German Energy Group delegation during the visit of Board of Investment (BOI) here on Wednesday.

The delegation also called on Minister of State and Chairman BOI Saleem H Mandviwala and discussed investment opportunities in various sectors of economy including the Energy sector in Pakistan.

The head of the delegation told the Minister that his company has decided to set up 50 MW Solar energy project in Pakistan.

He added that in this regard his company has already conducted a survey for the execution of this project in Pakistan.
The Chairman of AZUR Energy Group of Germany said that his company has already prepared a feasibility report and a ground survey is being conducted at Multan and Bahawalpur areas and negotiations for the acquiring of land for the project is also in progress.

He said that in the next step the AZUR Energy Group of Germany would bring solar energy technology in Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Saleem H Mandviwala said that Pakistan is an ideal location for investment in various sectors including the energy sector.

He said that Pakistan has adopted a liberal investor friendly policy, broad features of which include, proactive facilitation and guarantees of equal treatment of both local and foreign investors, easy tariff structures and a liberal regime on repatriation of profits.
The Minister also welcomed the German delegation and appreciated them to show their interest in Pakistan.

He highlighted the policy parameters of investment in Pakistan.

While stressing so he underlined the policy which allows 100pc foreign equity in the major sectors and full repatriation of profits and dividends in all the sectors.

It was further explained that the average rate of return is almost 30pc and in some cases up to 50pc.

A detail presentation on investment opportunities available in Pakistan was also made.

Saleem H Mandviwala also informed the delegation that currently Pakistan is facing power and energy shortage.

This area provides a prime opportunity for German investors to look into.

The delegates were also briefed about the working of Board of Investment being the policy maker and an apex government agency for the promotion of investment and a solution finder for foreign investors.

It is the first forum where the investor interacts, plays the leading role in facilitating the projects with other Ministries by adopting proactive approach BOI markets the opportunities in various sectors of economy to the outside world.

The delegation shown their keen interest in the infrastructure, power and energy sector.

Saleem H Mandviwala assured the German solar energy company that government would fully facilitate and cooperate with them in the establishment of their project.

Courtesy: The NATION

HYDERABAD (February 04 2010): Director Plant Protection Agriculture Extension Sindh Bashir Ahmed Keerio has warned pesticide firms/companies located at Hyderabad to fulfil requirements as per agriculture pesticide Ordinance/Rules within seven days otherwise action would be taken against them.

In his statement issued here on Wednesday, he said that a vigilance team had been constituted under the directive of the Sindh Minister for Agriculture Syed Ali Nawaz Shah to monitor the standard of pesticide.

He said that the team members along with inspectors concerned inspected Leganda Agro Services, Al-Sher Agro Services, Agri Aid Enterprises Agro, Seaba Agro Chemical, 4Brothers Agro Services, Biologic-Ag, Super Pesticides and M/s Fast Agro Chemical on Tuesday and directed the management concerned to fulfil the requirement as per agriculture pesticide Ordinance.

The purpose for the team and its action was to check and streamline the system of the pesticide business in the province and to control the menace of adulteration and marketing of substandard pesticide in the interest of farming community of the province, he said. He further said that this step would be helpful for increasing per acre yield and ultimately benefit the farmers and province.

Courtesy Business Recorder

MULTAN (February 04 2010): Over 12.5 million of cotton have reached ginneries across the country as of Feb 1, 2010, says a fortnightly report released by Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association here on Wednesday.

The arrival figures show 15.65 per cent increase as compared to the arrivals recorded during the corresponding period last year. A total of 11.7 million bales have been sold including 10.9 million to textile mill owners and 794,348 bales to exporters. Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) did not intervene in the buying activity due to stable cotton market whereas some 810,900 bales were lying with the ginners as unsold stock.

Arrivals in the Punjab were recorded at 8.32 million bales which is 5.13 per cent above the arrivals recorded during corresponding period last year. In Sindh, the arrivals were recorded at 4.1 million bales, 44.34 per cent above the arrivals recorded last year’s corresponding period. A total of 315 ginneries are operating in the country to press the Phutti (seed cotton) into bales.

Courtesy The NEWS

ZAHID BAIG
LAHORE (February 04 2010): Promotion of mechanised farming is the top priority of the Punjab government as it could ensure economic development of the province and huge funds are being allocated for this purpose. The provincial government last year extended a subsidy of Rs two billion on distribution of 10,000 tractors among the farmers under the same strategy and another 10,000 will be distributed this year.

This was stated by the Punjab Minister for Agriculture Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh here Wednesday, while speaking at a ceremony to mark the end of training course of those agricultural engineers who joined the agricultural engineering wing of the Punjab Agriculture Department.

The minister said that further progress in the agriculture sector was impossible without adoption of latest technology. For this purpose the government is not only creating awareness about latest technological developments among the growers, but also encouraging those with attractive prizes who have achieved record production of various crops.

He said that the government would also be distributing agricultural implements with a subsidy of Rs 1 billion under the same scheme of promotion of mechanised farming. On the other hand, Rs 550 million had also been allocated to promote tunnel technology, while the government was also carrying out repair of present bulldozers with the Punjab Agriculture Department and purchase of new bulldozers.

He said that promotion of mechanised agriculture would ensure increase in per acre yield, prosperity of the farmer and strengthening of the economy. The provincial minister said that neither attention was paid on promotion of agriculture sector by the previous governments nor they focussed on any project of power generation.

He said that the present government was working day and night for solving the economic issues of the country. He called upon the newly inducted agricultural engineers to perform their duties with full devotion and responsibility and meet the challenge of promotion of mechanised farming so as Pakistan could join the rank of developed countries.

Courtesy Business Recorder

LAHORE (February 04 2010): Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) has announced to observe a country wide protest on February 5, 2010 (Kashmir Solidarity Day) against what they said Indian water aggression against Pakistan. KBP President Sardar Zafar and other office-bearers undertook emergent visits of various areas through out the country and met growers to make them realise the importance of staging protest over the Indian plans of constructing over 60 dams on rivers feeding both the countries.

According to a KBP spokesman the Board has also decided to take up this issue at national and international forums on February 5, 2010. The board has also constituted teams to monitor protests at district level. Many political and religious organisations and those representing farmers have also constituted to support the KBP in this regard and observe the day as protest day against India, the spokesman added.

Courtesy Business Recorder

LAHORE (February 04 2010): Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) will be deliberating on different prevailing issues being faced by the Agricultural sector at its 115th extraordinary general body meeting to be held in the provincial metropolis on Thursday (today).

According to a FAP spokesman the agenda of discussion include emergent water situation and its consequences, wheat production and marketing issues for present crop, fertiliser prices and availability and involvement of farmers in trade policy regarrding Agriculture commodities. Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Nazar Muhammad Gondal is likely to be the chief guest. While Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Chairman FAP and Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs will chair the meeting.

Courtesy Business Recorder