01 FRONT PAGE (13-9-2022)_Layout 1 9/13/2022 1:12 AM Page 1
Tuesday, 13 September, 2022 I 16 Safar, 1444 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XIII No 75 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Climate Change emerges as one of world’s most potent Challenges: pm ISLAMABAD
p
Staff RepoRt
rime minister muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on monday said that climate change had emerged as one of the most potent challenges facing the world. The flood catastrophe that Pakistan was experiencing was climate-induced, he said, adding the massive economic damage on top of the economic crisis had undermined the country’s capacity to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He asked the international community to step forward and help Pakistan deal with the calamity of epic proportions. The prime minister was talking to President of the inter-Parliamentary
Union (iPU) Duarte Pacheco, who called on him here at the Pm House. Senate Chairman muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, National Assembly Speaker raja Pervaiz Ashraf, minister for economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and Pm’s special assistants Tariq Fatemi and ms romina Khursheed Alam were also present on the occasion. The prime minister asked the interParliamentary Union to play its role in raising awareness about the horrors of climate change and help mobilize global support for the developing countries facing the climate crisis due to global warming. He said the world should pursue climate justice as an ideal to deal with the threat, which was real and redefining their lives.
The prime minister said despite its shortcomings, democracy was still the best system in the world that was a vehicle to realize the people’s aspirations. He termed fake news as one of the major challenges facing democracy. He mentioned the worst human rights abuses in the indian illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (iiOJK), particularly after August 5, 2019, and said the violation of fundamental human rights had exposed the socalled democratic face of india. iPU President Duarte Pacheco expressed condolence on the loss of precious human lives during the recent floods and expressed his grief over the massive havoc caused to the infrastructure across the country. He supported Pakistan’s case with
‘CALAMITY-STRICKEN PAKISTAN’
rescue operations continue as floods create havoc ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Prime minister muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on monday underscored that the calamity-stricken Pakistan needs the support of international community, as the scale and magnitude of losses in the recent floods were too big to be borne by Pakistan alone. He expressed these views during a meeting with French Ambassador to Pakistan Nicolas Galey, who called on him. in this regard, he expressed gratitude to the French president for solidarity and support for the flood-stricken people, and for sending a relief flight carrying tents, water pumps and a team of doctors and nurses for the flood affectees, the Pm Office media Wing said in a press release. The prime minister underlined that besides the immediate relief assistance, France could contribute to the government’s efforts in the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase. He hoped that the ambassador would contribute towards strengthening the bilateral relationship as well as explore new
areas for cooperation, such as iT, start-ups, agriculture, water management and energy. Separately, the Punjab government has approved rs13 billion to compensate the damages caused to the flood victims on monday. As per details, as many as 60000 flood affectees have lost their homes and will be given rs9.64billion for reparations while rs4.12 billion will be paid as compensation to the bereaved families whose livestock perished in the devastating flood. The Punjab government will provide assistance of rs19.1million to the relatives of 191 flood victims while the family members of those affected by the floods will receive rs1million per person. moreover, rs15.4m will be distributed among 3858 flood-stricken families. meanwhile, BiSP has also distributed over rs. 23 billion among 946,813 flood affected families. Chairperson, Benazir income Support Programme (BiSP), Shazia marri has said that an amount of rs. 25,000 under Flood relief Cash Assistance means a lot to the flood affected families who
have lost everything. Despite unusual circumstances, BiSP has so far disbursed over 23 billion rupees among 946,813 flood affected families in a short span of time. She said that it is a matter of honour that the Prime minister has selected Benazir income Support Programme for the cash relief disbursement. As of monday evening, a total amount of rs. 23,670,325,000 have been disbursed among 946,813 flood affected families under this programme. A total of 116,753 affected families have received rs.2,918,825 in Balochistan; 564,472 families have received rs.14,111,800,000 in Sindh; 116,962 families have received rs.2,924,050,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 148,626 families have received rs.3,715,650,000 in Punjab. Today 22,527 flood affected families received cash assistance from different campsites established in flood hit areas of Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
Imran proposes limited extension in COAS Gen Bajwa’s tenure ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
in a new twist to his quest for power, former prime minister imran Khan monday took a new summersault against his previous stance and said that whichever party comes into power after free and fair general elections should appoint a new army chief, indirectly proposing a brief extension in the tenure of incumbent Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. in an interview with a private TV channel on monday, imran said he is ready for holding talks with the coalition government led by the PmL-N only if they accept his demand for the early polls.
“if they [government] are ready for [early] free and fair elections then there is also a possibility to delay elections in Sindh [due to floods],” he said. imran, the deposed premier, said he is ready for negotiations with the government on any matter “but you should decide first whether you want stability in the country or not”. The PTi chairman said he would have no objection to the incumbent rulers appointing new army chief if they came into power after winning free and fair elections. He said this while responding to a question related to his controversial statement in which he alleged that PmL-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari wanted to appoint the army chief of their choice because if a “strong and patriotic army chief” came, they would be questioned about their loot. “The second reason is that the new army chief is coming in November. Zardari and Nawaz want to bring their favourite as the next COAS because they have stolen public money,” he said. “They are afraid that when patriotic army chief comes, he will ask them about their loot,” he had said at the public rally in Faisalabad last week.
respect to climate change and stressed upon the developed countries to make a strategy to control the carbon emissions. Duarte Pacheco appreciated the National Assembly of Pakistan for organizing the 3rd iPU regional Seminar of Asia Pacific region on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals. He said that the event would help synergize regional efforts to achieve the SDGs. Later, the prime minister, in a tweet, said in his meeting with Duarte Pacheco, President of inter-Parliamentary Union, a representative body of 178 parliaments, he underscored how fake news posed a threat to democracy. “Together with fabrication, it can rob people of their democratic rights & violate human rights,” he added.