ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that Pakistan had the potential to not only meet its own food security needs but also that of the region and the world, a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. Bilawal participated in the ministerial meeting on the “Global Food Security Call to Action” in New York, United States, today. The foreign minister said that despite limited resources, Pakistan had never shirked its responsibility in times of a humanitarian crisis. Pakistan was playing a leadership role in advocating for humanitarian aid for the people of Afghanistan and had provided humanitarian aid to Afghanistan as well as Ukraine. He said that Pakistan was suffering from the vestiges of colonialism, turbulent history, constant quest to improve democracy, and has been caught in the cross-hairs of global geopolitics. Therefore, it had been unable to unlock its agricultural and economic potential. “Pakistan faced existential threats of climate change, COVID-19 pandemic, and poverty, which resulted in food, water, and energy insecurity,” added Bilawal. In his statement, the foreign minister lauded the initiative to unite and mobilise the international community to respond to the urgent food security and nutrition challenges being faced by the world, which had been further aggravated by the recent geopolitical developments.
