Executive Director of HEC Dr Shaista Sohail has asked the universities to promote lassi and sattu on campuses instead of tea to reduce the import bill of Pakistan.
Dr.Shaista Sohail has written a letter to all the Vice-Chancellors and Rectors of all the public and private universities to encourage the consumption of locally produced drinks such as Lassi and Sattu. The letter said that the consumption of such drinks would also create employment opportunities and generate income for the people involved in this business.
HEC also called for the local production of tea. The organization believe the local production will reduce the import bill of Pakistan as Pakistan imports the tea. It also calls for the research on the alternate energy substitute for the imported fossil fuels used in motorcycles, cars, buses, and trains.
HEC has also called for the promotion of research in edible cooking oils and their marketing to reduce the import of edible oil.
Read more: Ahsan Iqbal asks nation to cut tea consumption to save country
The suggestion to reduce the consumption of tea was first proposed by Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal. Pakistan is facing the problem of dwindling foreign reserves. Hence, Ahsan Iqbal believes that nation should reduce the consumption of tea by 2-3 cups a day because Pakistan imports tea. Hence reduction in tea consumption will reduce the import bill of Pakistan.
Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan imports tea on the loans it takes. The video of Ahsan Iqbal had gone viral on Twitter last week. Reacting to his statement, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had said that the government should reduce its expenditure and people will also cut their consumption of tea. Fawad Chaudhry said: “Reduce property abroad, reduce camp office, reduce people on foreign trips, we reduce a cup of tea.”