Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Senator Shibli Faraz said that the Integrated Physical Oceanographic Laboratory (IPOL) was an addition to the modern lab in Karachi and this modern lab would extend all kinds of support for the research on land erosion and intrusion of seawater.
The Minister expressed these views in a press conference at National Institute of Oceanography here Friday. He said that the Lab would work on collecting the data related to maritime resources, land erosion and sea level rise and that would be analyzed to submit their recommendations to the government. On the basis of these recommendations, the policy will be devised to cope with situation arising due to the land erosion etc, he told, adding that accordingly, step would be taken as the population especially fishermen were living on the coastal lines. The Minister told that it would provide basic data which would ultimately help in estimating the losses and reduce the intrusion of seawater. He appreciated the efforts made by the scientists of the National Institute of Oceanography and the project team in the field of Ocean Science. He hoped that the Institute would continue to promote and expand its research activities. About the Opposition’s no trust move, the Minister said that the Opposition parties needed numbers to get a no confidence motion approved which it did not have required numbers votes of 172 to the motion approved, he claimed. It is not mandatory for members of treasury benches to attend session because the Opposition parties have to get the motion approved, not the government, he told. He was confident that the motion would not be approved as the Opposition parties were lacking the required numbers, the Minister reiterated. Criticizing the Opposition, the Federal Minister articulated that even common man could not use the language as those leaders did, informing that the Opposition parties wanted to create chaos in the country. Leader of JUI-F, Fazal-ur-Rehman is responsible for all what happened last night in the Parliament, he blamed, saying that private army was entered into the Parliament. We are standing with Imran Khan like a rock and our government will complete its constitutional tenure, he recounted. Earlier, the Minister inaugurated the Integrated Physical Oceanographic Laboratory (IPOL), National Institute of Oceanography. Director General, Integrated Physical Oceanographic Laboratory (IPOL), Dr. Samina Qadwai briefed the Minister regarding seawater intrusion, sea level rise, coastal erosion and land degradation with Sindh and Balochistan. The Federal Minister and the officials also visited various laboratories of the Institute and met the scientists and discussed the research being done by them.
