Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday congratulated the Punjab government on the inauguration of the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority (PAFDA), terming it a landmark institution for ensuring food security and hygienic standards across the country.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the prime minister praised Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for transforming a long-neglected and incomplete building into a modern, IT-led and AI-enabled laboratory.
He said the project, which had remained idle for years, now stands as a symbol of progress and good governance. “Full marks to Maryam Nawaz Sharif for converting an idling building into a great institution,” he remarked.
He also commended the efforts of scientists, experts, and professionals who worked tirelessly to complete what he described as a unique project in Pakistan.
According to the prime minister, the PAFDA will play a vital role in ensuring food safety, quality control, and public health, calling it a need of the hour.
Recalling the establishment of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency in 2009, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted how the absence of a credible forensic system had once allowed criminals to escape justice.
He paid rich tribute to late Dr Ashraf Tahir, who left a successful career in the United States to serve Pakistan, and acknowledged the role of former provincial officer Naseem Sadiq and other officials in setting up the forensic lab.
The prime minister expressed regret that the PAFDA building had remained incomplete for five to six years due to political neglect, despite billions of rupees being spent. He said that during his incarceration nearby, seeing the abandoned structure was heart-wrenching. He lauded the current Punjab leadership for reviving the project and turning it into a state-of-the-art facility.
Speaking on governance reforms, the prime minister cited examples of action taken against corruption in export-related institutions, including reforms in departments involved in rice exports and quality certification. He emphasized that strong and transparent institutions are essential for national credibility and international trade.
He further said the PAFDA will not only serve Punjab but will also benefit all provinces by providing reliable testing and certification services for food items such as rice, betel nuts, milk, and water.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the Punjab cabinet, chief secretary, police leadership, and all officials involved in the project. He expressed hope that the PAFDA would help eliminate adulteration and set new standards for food and drug regulation in Pakistan, calling it a great national service.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif presented a souvenir to the prime minister.
The chief minister also spoke on the occasion. She said that the inauguration of the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority (PAFDA) marks the realization of a long-cherished dream, aimed at ensuring scientific justice, food safety, and international-quality standards in Punjab and across Pakistan.
She announced a massive expansion of the PFSA under her government, with an investment exceeding Rs 5 billion. She said 142 high-tech machines have already been made operational in Phase-I, while 565 additional machines and equipment are in the pipeline and will be installed in the coming months. To ensure justice reaches every doorstep, she said PFSA’s satellite crime scene units are being expanded from 8 to 38 districts, with another Rs 5 billion investment.
Highlighting the scope of PAFDA, the chief minister said the authority will address critical challenges such as unsafe food, fake fertilisers, substandard medicines, and water contamination. She said the new facility will conduct testing of food, drugs, cosmetics, fertilisers, pesticides, soil, biomedical devices, alternative and biological medicines, orthopaedic implants, and animal feed-making Punjab the first province in Pakistan to formally test animal feed.
Maryam Nawaz further stated that the PAFDA has established international linkages with the US Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and UK-based CABNI to ensure global compliance and credibility.
She revealed that the authority currently employs 232 scientists, including over 100 gold and silver medallists, with women making up nearly 70 percent of the workforce. She also announced the establishment of hostel accommodation for female scientists recruited across Pakistan.
Calling Punjab an agriculture-based economy, the chief minister said the absence of modern quality testing laboratories had previously harmed both exporters and consumers, leading to rejected consignments and lack of international compliance. She stressed that products unfit for export should also not be consumed locally, emphasizing that quality standards must be uniform for domestic and international markets.
Speaking on governance reforms, Maryam Nawaz highlighted Punjab’s digital transformation, including paper-free governance, e-tendering, e-procurement, and a faceless e-business initiative that has issued online approvals to 23,000 businesses within 60 days. She also cited the use of drones as first responders at crime scenes and fire incidents, AI-based traffic and child protection systems, and the launch of a virtual women police station that has assisted hundreds of thousands of women.
She announced that from the first week of April, students in government schools across Punjab will begin training in artificial intelligence.