Pakistan PM Imran Khan declares national emergency to fight locusts

Pakistan has declared a national emergency to deal with insects destroying crops on a large scale in Punjab province, country's main region for agricultural production.

The emergecy was declared following a meeting convened by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The meeting was attended by federal ministers and senior officials of the four provinces.

Pakistan requires  a sum of Rs 7.3 billion to overcome the crisis.

Minister for National Food Security Khusro Bakhtiar informed the National Assembly about the gravity of the situation and the steps so far taken by the federal and provincial governments to deal with the crisis, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Khan directed the authorities concerned to make immediate measures based on damages to ripened crops.

"Protection of farms and farmers is the highest priority of the government. Therefore, the federal government should take all necessary steps to save national crops and provide required resources to the quarters concerned," Khan was quoted as saying in the Dawn report.