PM acknowledged that Pakistan could not tackle climate change “overnight” and urged long-term measures to mitigate its impact
Saifullah Ansar/DNA
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the federal cabinet will announce climate emergency and agriculture emergency after consultations today in view of the human and economic losses caused by the floods.
Chairing the federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad today, he said a committee headed by Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal is also being constituted to deal with the situation arising out of floods.
Shehbaz Sharif said an apex level meeting will follow the cabinet meeting to be attended by the four chief ministers to formulate a policy to cope with the current situation. He said the federation is contributing its share, emphasizing the provincial governments will also have to contribute.
He said the floods claimed the lives of about one thousand people and left thousands of others injured. He said an assessment is being carried out to determine the damages caused by floods to crops.
As regards his recent visit to China, the Prime Minister said the business conference in Beijing remained very productive. He said the event culminated in eight and a half billion dollars worth of joint ventures and MOUs.
He said Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal will be visiting China on the 26th of this month for the formal launch of CPEC 2.0. He said the CPEC 2.0 will cover cooperation in agriculture and mines and minerals as well as B to B investment and special economic zones. For Karakoram Highway, he said Chinese investment will be eighty-five percent.
Shehbaz Sharif also mentioned the MOU signed with the US for investment in mines and minerals.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan will improve its relations with the US and give new impetus to the strategic partnership with China.
Shehbaz Sharif paid tributes to the armed forces for their sacrifices in the war against terrorism. He said the nation is proud of its martyrs.
He strongly condemned the propaganda by certain elements against armed forces and its leadership, emphasizing that it is our collective national and political responsibility to confront and counter such actions.
