Bill Gates Should Stay Away From Pakistan

.. by Ahsan Gardezi 

When Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Bill Gates on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, both sides expressed interest in cooperation in agriculture and biotechnology. This raises an important question: why is Pakistan so eager to involve one of the world’s most controversial billionaires in such a sensitive sector?

Pakistan certainly needs better seeds, modern farming methods and agricultural research. But we should also be careful about becoming dependent on foreign companies for seeds, technology and food production.

Agriculture is not like buying a software program. Seeds, food and farming are directly linked to our national security, farmers’ livelihoods and food independence. If foreign companies become deeply involved, Pakistan must know who owns the technology, who controls the supply chain and who ultimately benefits financially.

There are also legitimate questions about Gates himself. His past association with Jeffrey Epstein has faced serious criticism, and Microsoft, the company he co-founded, was once found by a US court to have used anti-competitive practices. These issues do not automatically disqualify him from working in agriculture, but they explain why some Pakistanis remain cautious.

The bigger question, however, is about Pakistan itself.

We should welcome investment, technology and expertise from around the world, but we should not allow outside interests to control strategically important sectors.

Bill Gates does not need to become Pakistan’s agricultural saviour. Pakistan needs to build strong research institutions, develop its own seed technology, protect its farmers and become capable of managing its agricultural future itself.

The real goal should not be dependence on a billionaire. It should be agricultural self-reliance .. Source