Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan Pang Chunxue on Wednesday said both countries are committed to building a closer community with a shared future, through open and inclusive cooperation, for the benefit of their peoples and the prosperity of the nations.

Addressing a ceremony held to celebrate the landmark of China-Pakistan Space Science and Technology cooperation on the eve of the return of Pakistani Seeds from Chinese Space at COMSTECH Auditorium, she believed that deepening cooperation will bring greater benefits to both the nations.

She praised the scientists of both countries for their joint efforts in a successful scientific experiment of sending Pakistani seeds to space for research work. She said that experiment represents a landmark in China-Pakistan Science and Technology cooperation and will be recorded in the history of their friendship.

It is the first time that Pakistani seeds including Trigonella Foenum-Graecum (Methi), Lawsonia Inermis (Mehndi), Moringa Olefera (Sohanjna), Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha), Tribulus Terrestris (Gokhroo), Gossypium Arboretum (Mughal Punta Dana) and Caesalpinia Bonducella (Kuranjwa) travel to space and sojourned there for six months in a special environment consisting of microgravity and cosmic radiations.

This space mutagenesis for crop improvement project is a mind-blowing research work that will not only provide enormous opportunities for further research on other planets but also make plant cultivation easier in harsh weather conditions e.g drought, and floods caused by global warming. Cultivation of medicinal plants is still at the initial stage in Pakistan so this project is a milestone in the development of Pakistani medicinal plants, drug discovery, and clinical trials.

The scientists who contributed to the project included Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Prof. Dr. Atia tul Wahab, Dr. Yan Wang, Dr. Shakeel Ahmed, Prof. Dr. Ahsana Dar Tariq, and Prof. Dr. Ghazala. H. Rizwani.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistani scientist, project and group lead Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General COMSTECH/ Director ICCBS said that ICCBS is proud to announce a major milestone in the cooperation of space science and technology between Pakistan and China with the successful sending of seeds into space.

This foundational step marks an important point in the continued growth and partnership between the two countries and will drive future cooperation in the field of space science.

Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation Prof. Dr. Shahid Baig said that PSF boosts coordination among Science and technology institutions. Support from Chinese institutions leads to stronger strategic and academic infrastructure in Pakistan. PSF serves as a key tool for socio-economic development.

The ceremony was attended by the Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology, political leadership, diplomats, scientists, and senior officers of the ministry and its attached organizations.