Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired the fourth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Essential Cash Crops.

The committee undertook a comprehensive review of Pakistan's cotton sector. Discussions focused on enhancing production and profitability, improving seed quality, technology adoption and research, addressing climate vulnerabilities, and mobilizing all stakeholders across the public and private cotton value chain.

Ishaq Dar emphasized the need for coordinated, evidence based, and actionable steps to restore cotton's central role in the national economy, strengthen global competitiveness, and improve farmer incomes.

The DPM/FM instructed the Ministry of National Food Security to prepare an action plan, for a follow-up committee ensuring that policy recommendations made in earlier meetings are translated into implementable measures.

The meeting was attended by the Minister for National Food Security, SAPM Tariq Bajwa, senior representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, FBR, MNFSR, along with officials from provincial governments and other relevant departments and stakeholder organizations.

Meanwhile Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting to review challenges facing Pakistan's energy sector.

The meeting was attended by the Minister for Power, SAPM Tariq Bajwa, NC on Power Reforms, NC SIFC, Secretaries of Finance and Power, and other senior government officials.

Discussions focused on key issues affecting the financial sustainability and long-term stability of the sector, including energy consumption patterns, pricing mechanisms, subsidy management, and the reduction of Transmission and Distribution (TandD) losses.

Ishaq Dar directed the relevant ministries to propose concrete, actionable measures to address these challenges, while ensuring long-term sectoral stability.