Punjab Agriculture Minister Opens Solarisation Project at PMAS-AAUR
Punjab Minister for Agriculture Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, along with Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, inaugurated the state-of-the-art Solarization Project at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR).
The minister described the project as an important step towards promoting renewable energy, environmental sustainability and energy efficiency in higher education institutions. He appreciated the university’s efforts to adopt green technologies and said the solarisation initiative could serve as a model for other educational institutions.
After the inauguration, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Kirmani to review the university’s ongoing development initiatives and future roadmap.
During the meeting, the minister praised the vision of Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Qamar-uz-Zaman and acknowledged the efforts of the university’s faculty and administrative teams in implementing academic, research and development projects.
Addressing the participants, the minister reaffirmed that the Government of Punjab, particularly the Punjab Agriculture Department, remained committed to supporting agricultural universities across the province. He said this support included strengthening research collaborations, promoting technology transfer and encouraging innovation-led agricultural development.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Qamar-uz-Zaman gave a detailed presentation on the university’s strategic initiatives, ongoing projects and future plans for advancing agricultural education, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and community outreach.
He briefed the minister on the Faculty Development Program, including Training of Trainers (ToT), Climate-Resilient Peanut Value Chain Development for Rural Enterprise and Economic Graduation, Farmers’ Call Centre and Agricultural Advisory Service, and the strengthening of the university’s Business Incubation Center (BIC). He also highlighted its transformation into a dynamic Agri-Entrepreneurship Hub.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo appreciated the university’s active research environment and academic excellence. He said the Punjab Agriculture Department was expanding collaboration with agricultural universities in the province, leading to the successful implementation of several joint initiatives.
