Monday, 21 November, 2022 I 25 Rabi us sani, 1444 I Rs 40.00 | Vol XIII No 142 I 44 Pages I Islamabad Edition
PM Shehbaz terMS global fund deal ‘Pivotal SteP’ for cliMate juStice g
SayS it’S up to tranSitional committee to build on hiStoric development
ISLAMABAD
a
staff report
historic united nations deal struck on funding to help vulnerable countries cope with the effects of climate change is a “pivotal step” towards justice, pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said Sunday. the prime minister appreciated the establishment of the loss and damage fund at the un climate summit, saying it was the “first pivotal step” towards the goal of climate justice. the un cop27 summit wrapped up Sunday in egypt with a deal for a fund to help vulnerable countries cope with “loss and damage” from devastating climate impacts. “the establishment of loss & damage fund at the un climate summit is the first pivotal step towards the goal of climate justice,” Shehbaz tweeted. “it is up to the transitional committee to build on the historic development. i appreciate (minister for climate change) Sherry rehman and her team for their contribution and hard work,” the prime minister remarked. pakistan — the world’s fifth largest population — is responsible for only 0.8 percent of
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ShowerS praiSe on Sherry, her team for hard work
global greenhouse emissions but is one of the countries most vulnerable to extreme weather caused by global warming. earlier this year pakistan was struck by devastating monsoon floods that left nearly a third of the country under water, affecting more than 30 million people and leaving a repair bill estimated at nearly $30 billion. according to the media reports, at cop27 held at Sharm el-Sheikh, the countries adopted a hard-fought final agreement at the cop27 climate summit early Sunday that sets up a fund to help poor countries being battered by climate disasters. what is being dubbed as a victory for the poorer nations that have pushed for the move for years, the fund would earmark money for loss and damage caused by climate change-induced disasters. the prime minister along with his cabinet members including foreign minister bilawal bhutto Zardari and climate change minister Senator Sherry rehman had raised the voice for climate justice at the regional and global levels. the fund would lead to the provision of assistance to the countries impacted by climate change. it will also support pakistan in the reha-
bilitation of the flood-affected people and the reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure. according to a pm office statement, cop27 made history by taking a practical step comparing the paris accord and Green marshal plan. the cop27 summit was recently held on november 7-8 also participated by the prime minister at the invitation of the egyptian president. he had also co-chaired a roundtable conference on “loss and damage” and his address to the session also mainly focused on climate change-induced disaster and the measures to mitigate the losses. the prime minister emphasized the establishment of the loss and damage fund to provide climate justice to the affected countries. following the agreement on the establishment of the fund, Sherry rehman said, “it has been a long 30-year journey from demand to the formation of the loss & damage fund for 134 countries” and called it an important first step in reaffirming the core principles of climate justice. “this is not about accepting charity,” she said. “this is a down payment on investment in our futures, and in climate justice,” she remarked. the united nations Secretary-General antonio Guterres also welcomed the decision and said, “clearly, this will not be enough, but it is a much-needed political signal to rebuild broken trust.” GRIEVEd oVER dEMIsE oF sPM dR TauQIR shah’s MoThER: prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed grief over demise of the mother of Secretary to pm drtauqirShah.”i am deeply grieved to learn about the passing of the mother of drtauqir Shah, Spm… my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family,” the prime minister wrote on twitter. he prayed to allah almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant strength to the bereaved family to bear the loss with fortitude. meanwhile, minister for information and broadcasting marriyum aurangzeb on Sunday expressed deep grief and sorrow over the death of the mother of the Secretary to the prime minister dr tauqeer Shah. in a statement, she expressed her heartfelt condolences with the family of dr tauqeer Shah. marriyum aurangzeb prayed to allah almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear this loss with fortitude.
Everyone to get a surprise on Nov 26, says Imran LAHORE staff report
a day after announcing what appeared to be the final showdown with the government, former prime minister and pti chairman imran khan said that everyone will get a surprise on november 26 — the day when his party’s supporters will converge on rawalpindi for “haqeeqi azadi”. in a meeting with a group of journalists in lahore on Sunday, imran without divulging details said: “i am aware of their plans, but i am planning ahead.” the former premier reiterated that he was no more concerned about the appointment of next army chief. “i have no problem with whoever they want to appoint as army chief. now these people [government] are trapped from both sides,” he told his audience. imran, who was voted out as prime minister in april this year, said the incumbent rulers would face defeat if early elections were held in the country. “if these [polls] are not held, there are chances that the country will go bankrupt.” Speaking on the occasion, the former prime also revealed that he was sent messages through president arif alvi for negotiations to end political deadlock in the country. “but i have only one demand, give the date of the election. only then discussions can take place,” he added. ToshakhaNa waTch: the former premier said despite using the entire state machinery, the incumbent rulers could not find anything against him except watch that he bought from toshakhana and later sold it in the market.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03 in today’s issue
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high stakes for Qatar as Football world cup starts DOHA reuters
the world cup kicks off in Qatar on Sunday in a high-stakes event for the nation which has faced a barrage of criticism and staked its reputation on delivering a smooth tournament, the first held in the middle east and most expensive in history. in a show of arab solidarity, Saudi arabia’s crown prince and the presidents of egypt and algeria will be among the political leaders at the opening ceremony led by Qatar’s emir in a tent-shaped stadium at 5:40 pm (1440 Gmt), before the first match between hosts Qatar and ecuador. the un secretary-general will also be there. the tournament marks a culmination of Qatar’s soft power push on the global stage and a show of strength after emerging from a 3-1/2 year boycott by Saudi arabia and three arab allies, including egypt, that ended in 2021. the event will also see the first direct flights from israel to Qatar. onstage, South korean singer Jungkook of k-pop boy band btS will perform a new official tournament song
called dreamers alongside Qatari singer fahad al-kubaisi. Qatar — which has denied accusations of abuse of workers and discrimination — and fifa hope the spotlight will turn to action on the pitch after mounting criticism over foreign workers’ rights, lGbt rights and social restrictions. organisers have also denied allegations of bribery for hosting rights. in lengthy remarks at a news conference on Saturday, fifa president Gianni infantino rounded on european critics of the host nation, saying engagement was the only way to improve human rights, while doha has also pointed to recent labour reforms. denmark’s and Germany’s team captains will wear one love armbands, their teams said, as they prepare to compete in a conservative muslim state where same-sex relations are illegal. alcohol has been banned at stadiums. organisers say all are welcome while warning against public displays of affection. fanS: throngs of fans are already in doha but the main rush is expected later this week, with daily flights shuttling
in fans from neighbouring cities. on arrival, argentina fan Julio cesar said he expected a great atmosphere. “even though there is no beer, we’ll drink before the match.” as some visitors savoured their first sips at the launch of the fifa fan festival on Saturday in central doha, hundreds
of workers, all men, gathered in a sports arena in an industrial zone on the city’s edges where no alcohol was being served. they will be able to watch matches there, priced out of the stadiums many toiled to build along with other infrastructure for the event. “of course, i didn’t buy a ticket. they’re
expensive and i should use that money for other things — like sending it back home to my family,” Ghanaian national kasim, a security guard who has worked in Qatar for four years, told reuters. neville, a 24-year-old kenyan, and compatriot willy, also 24 and a manchester city fan, were hired as security guards for the event. “it’s a once-in-alifetime opportunity,” said neville. wealthy gas producer Qatar is the smallest nation to host soccer’s biggest global event, organised at a cost of $220 billion. crowd control will be key with some 1.2 million visitors expected — more than a third of Qatar’s population. workers were putting the final touches on outdoor gardens and sidewalks on Saturday and carting construction material near the national museum. but at lagoona mall, where world cup songs played on a loop, life continued as normal with people queuing at the bank, sipping coffee in cafes and buying groceries. “i came now because i don’t know how bad the traffic will be later this week,” said esraa, an egyptian woman stocking up at food retailer carrefour.