Pakistan May Temporarily Lift Trade Ban Against India To Import Insecticides For Battling Locust Attack 

After cutting diplomatic and trade ties with India, Pakistan is likely to make an exception to import insecticides from India to prepare for a potential locust attack in the summer, reports Livemint.

After the abrogation of article 370 by India, last August, Pakistan severed all diplomatic and trade ties with New Delhi.

Pakistan also has the choice to import insecticides from China, but the latter is currently dealing with the coronavirus outbreak which has killed nearly two thousand people.

Early this month Pakistan declared a national emergency over locust swarm attack and Dr Falak Naz, Director General Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, told Reuters "Yes definitely, there is a fear of locust attack in June- July, this is the reason we are planning and preparing in advance."

These Desert locusts, which resemble grasshoppers in appearance, are said to have arrived in Pakistan from Iran. They have already said to have destroyed or damaged large quantity of maze, cotton, wheat and other crops.

These locusts have already invaded eastern Africa, destroying crops and pasture and according to United Nations have the potential to lead to a massive hunger crisis.

The current locusts outbreak is said to be the worst in the last 25 years.