There is a need to establish a close and effective liaison between policymakers and research organizations to get the country out of the crises, said Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food Security Chairperson Marvi Memon. She was addressing the elite gathering of agriculture university faculty at new syndicate hall and later to university students at new senate hall.

She underlined the need to maintain the relationship between the both sides in a bid to seek advices from the researchers to the legislators on various issues of national importance terming it a prerequisite for the uplift of the country. She urged the scholars to give their innovative ideas that would help policymakers develop the best policies that are in the best interest of the country.

She also urged the youth to play its pivotal role and being an active member of the society as Pakistan is bestowed with demographic dividend of having 54% of its population comprising youth saying revolutions supposed to be happened with the help of young slot.

She also presented her six-point agenda consisting of de-politicking, de extreminisation, de-colononisation, de-povertisation, de-divisionalisation and de-corruptionisation before the gathering emphasizing that there is need reach on the consensuses to befittingly address the confronting issues and redefine the said terms. She said that parameters of extremism, poverty, corruption, politicking and division of society stand vary in the minds of people.

She said that there are various brand of extremism in the country that are not only religious extremists but also other extremists including western culture influence, liberal trends and others that are playing havoc with our norms and values and disturbing our culture. She condemned the class division in the society saying that there is need to level the ground for all segments of the society. Marvi also assured the university administration of taking up the issue of the university’s budget in the National Assembly. She asked the Vice Chancellor to nominate his experts to participate in the parliamentary committees and guide the legislators regarding climate change and food security issues.

The university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmed Khan, briefed her about the university’s performance and the challenges related to the agriculture and climate changes confronting the country. He told last year, 130 universities of the country produced 613 PhD scholars and the UAF got a lion share in producing 110 PhDs that is 18 percent of the total PhD scholars produced in the country.

He said that universities supposed to be the think tank of any society and their research need to be capitalized by involving them in the policy making. The university is committed in capacity building that 11,000 students were studying on campus and we had chalk out our plan to cater 25,000 students in the next ten years, he added. He informed that the university was playing an active role in bringing green, poultry and cotton’s revolution in the country. He also told the guest about the cascade effects of upcoming water crisis and climate change.

Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan also spoke about land grant model of agriculture, emphasizing better integration of education, research and extension wings as this model was producing tremendous results in India where 44 universities were running under this model. He stressed the need to implement the model for yielding tangible results saying that Agriculture is the backbone of our country. Marvi lauded the efforts being made on the part of the university in the field of education, research and outreach programs.