In his Friday address to the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the need for collective action to combat climate change, which has led to devastating floods in Pakistan.
The prime minister emphasized the extensive damage that the deadly floods caused by climate change left behind at the opening of his speech and made a plea for assistance from other countries to deal with the calamity.
“I have come to explain first-hand scale and magnitude of the climate catastrophe,” he added.
“For 40 days and 40 nights, catastrophic flood poured on us. Even today, huge swathes of the country are still underwater. 33 million people including women and children are at high risk of health hazards. More than 1,500 people have been killed including 400 children.
According to early estimates, over 13000 km of metal-paved roads have been damaged, over 370 bridges have been demolished, one million dwellings have been destroyed, and another million have been damaged, the PM said.
“Whatever happened to Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan. We emit less than 1% of the carbon emissions in the world and expect justice from the comity of nations.”
According to early estimates, over 13000 km of metal-paved roads have been damaged, over 370 bridges have been demolished, one million dwellings have been destroyed, and another million have been damaged, the PM said.
A million or more agricultural animals have died. Four million acres of crops have been washed away, depriving the populace of their main source of food and causing unimaginable destruction, the official continued.
“More than a million farm animals have been killed. Four Million acres of crops have been washed away, stripping the people of their breadbasket, and damage of an unimaginable scale,” he added.
He urged global leaders to come together and “act now” before it’s too late. “There will be no world left to fight over when nature strikes back.”
PM seeks peace with India
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister, stated that Pakistan seeks peace with all of its neighbours, including India, when discussing the situation in the area and the Kashmir conflict. However, a fair and long-lasting resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir conflict remained necessary for long-term peace and stability in South Asia.
He claimed that the scope and severity of India’s unrelenting campaign of repression against Kashmiris kept expanding. New Delhi has increased its military presence in occupied Jammu and Kashmir to 900,000 troops in order to achieve this horrific goal, making it the most militarised region in the world.
“India’s ruthless campaign of aggression against Jammu & Kashmir with over 900,000 security personnel makes it the most militarised zones in the world.” India trying to turn the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir into a Hindu-majority territory, through illegal demographic changes,” he added.
He claimed that until the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination was fully achieved in conformity with the pertinent UN Security Council resolutions, Pakistanis had always stood with them in complete solidarity.
The world was reassured by the prime minister that Pakistan’s commitment to South Asian peace remained unwavering.
“We in Pakistan remain consistent for peace in South Asia. We are neighbours. We need to learn with each other. We have fought wars. It is now up to us to resolve our problems and issues as peaceful neighbours.”
“We need to save our scarce resources to spend funds on education and health, rather than arms and ammunition. Both countries are armed to the teeth. War is not an option. Only peaceful dialogue can resolve our problems.”
“I am ready to sit across the table and speak to my Indian counterpart to find a peaceful solution to Kashmir and live as peaceful neighbours,” he added.
‘Release Afghan Reserves’
In his remarks on the situation in Afghanistan, the prime minister stated that 30 million Afghans were still without a working financial system or economy that would have allowed them to support themselves and create a better future.
He informed the audience that Pakistan was working to promote respect for Afghan girls’ and women’s rights to education and employment.
“Yet, at this point, isolating the Afghan Interim Government could aggravate the suffering of the Afghan people, who are already destitute. Constructive engagement and economic support are more likely to secure a positive response.
A peaceful, prosperous and connected Afghanistan is in our collective interest,” the prime minister commented.
“We must avoid another civil war, rising terrorism, drug trafficking or new refugees – which none of Afghanistan’s neighbors are in a position to accommodate,” he said and urged the international community to respond in a positive way to the UN Secretary-General’s appeal for $4.2 billion in humanitarian and economic assistance to Afghanistan; release Afghanistan’s financial reserves, essential to revive its banking system.
War on terrorism
Leaders from around the world were informed by Prime Minister Shehbaz that Pakistan strongly condemned terrorism in all of its manifestations.
“Terrorism does not have a religion. It is based on dogma, fueled by poverty, deprivation, injustice and ignorance, and fanned by vested interests,” he commented.
Calling Pakistan a “principal victim of terrorism” he said over last two decades, the country had suffered more than 80,000 casualties and over $150 billion in economic losses due to terrorist attacks.
“Pakistan has paid an extremely high price in our war against terrorism in the last two decades. “Eighty thousand people have died and billions lost to our exchequer,” said PM.
The premier also discussed Islamophobia and urged UN to take ‘concrete measures’.
