Pakistan yet to respond on Indian suggestion on jointly dealing with locust crisis

Reuters photo

New Delhi: Pakistan is yet to respond to New Delhi's suggestion on jointly dealing with the locust crisis. This comes even as the Islamabad claimed that it is cooperating with regional countries including India to deal with the crisis that can majorly impact the food security in the region.

Wion quoted an Indian government source as saying, "We have not heard anything to our proposal for coordinated locust control operations along the border and even to facilitate supply of pesticide."

India and Pakistan are members of FAO's Commission for controlling the Desert Locust in South-West Asia (SWAC).

Earlier today, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aisha Farooqui, in response to the question of Indian offer to jointly deal with locust crisis said, "India is cooperating with all regional countries to fight desert locust invasion under a forum administered by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)...SWAC - Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in Southwest Asia."

"Pakistan remains committed to cooperating with all SWAC member states, including India, in combating desert locust outbreak and the cooperation is fruitful in exchanging information in the bordering areas of Pakistan and India," she added.

Sources reacting to it said, "Seems it is usual issue of saying something and do something else. They remain reticent. It appears that they want to underplay the problem that is there in Pakistan."

India and Iran are already cooperating to deal with the crisis with New Delhi supplying the pesticide.  The 2019–20 locust infestation has impacted more than 10 countries including Africa, South Asia, Iran, India and Pakistan.