Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Tuesday constituted a 20 members Special Committee on Agricultural Products particularly tobacco in the country. The Speaker said that the National Assembly will pay comprehensive attention to the issues that afflicts the farmers and agricultural sector. The Speaker said that Pakistan’s future in terms of food security and economic growth lies in a modern, sustainable and scientific farming that maximizes agricultural production in Pakistan. The Speaker has constituted the Committee in pursuance of Motion adopted by the National Assembly on 6th March, 2019, under rule 244 (B) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The terms of the reference of the committee will be to examine the matters relating to Agricultural Products Particularly tobacco in the country. The Committee will present its report to the House. The Speaker is authorized to make changes in the composition of the Committee as and when required. It is recalled that while speaking on Points of Order, the Members had been drawing the attention of the Speaker towards the difficulties faced by the farmers, particularly about the timely availability of water, urea, quality seeds etc. It was also brought to the Chair’s notice that despite the agreed support price, the farmers were not being paid in time, which had gravely affected them. The Speaker said that the formation of the Special Committee on Agricultural Products expresses the National Assembly’s resolve to transform the agricultural landscape in Pakistan by paying particular attention to the scientific farming, agricultural exports and protection to the local farmers. The Speaker said that Pakistan was one of the ten largest tobacco producers in the world and the sector contributed massive revenue to the federal exchequer. He underlined the need for special attention to the problems that afflicts the tobacco farmers and industry. The Speaker emphatically stressed the need for protecting the interest of the local farmers who serve as the soul behind the federal government’s more than a Rs.100bn revenue chunk. The Speaker highlighted that the Special Committee will capitalize on the immense experience and foresight of the Members to define a strategic roadmap for promoting the country’s agricultural products. Mr. Asad Qaiser outlined that the Committee will reach out to all associations of farmers and growers to enlist their problems and will coordinate with the Agricultural departments of the four provinces, besides the Federal Ministry of Food Security to seek agreed solutions by all stake-holders. It will present its Report to the National Assembly in the shortest possible time. Besides the Speaker National Assembly the committee will comprise of MNAs Syed Fakhar Imam, Mr. RiazFatyana, Eng. Usman Khan Tarakai, Mr. Sher Akbar Khan, Mr. Imran Khattak, Mr. Muhammad Sana Ullah Khan MastiKhel, Malik Muhammad Ehsan UllahTiwana, Mr. Muhammad Farooq Azam Malik, Mr. FaizUllah, Mr. Mujahid Ali, Mr. Fazal Muhammad Khan, Mir. Khan Muhammad Jamali, Ms. ShandanaGulzar Khan, Mr. Khalid HussainMagsi, Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Mr. Sajid Mehdi, Syed Naveedqamar, Nawab Muhammad YousufTalpur and Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani.