SCO leaders endorse Shehbaz Sharif’s call for climate change plan for Pakistan

Samarkand: The presidents of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Mongolia on Friday seconded the proposal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for an action plan by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for Pakistan to overcome the impact of climate change.

PM Sharif in his address at the Heads of State meeting of SCO had drawn the attention of the member states to the disaster Pakistan was facing as a result of climate change despite the country’s less than one percent contribution to carbon emissions.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed that the proposal of the prime minister of Pakistan needed to be taken up at the level of the Organization.

Mirziyoyev, who hosted the SCO summit, urged the member states to help Pakistan overcome the catastrophic damage caused by flash floods.

Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh fully endorsed the suggestion made by Prime Minister Sharif at the SCO platform.

In his address, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called upon the member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to come up with Pakistan-specific programmes on climate change as the country faced the devastating impact of the global natural phenomenon.

“This climatic injustice has befallen us despite the fact that our carbon emission is less than one percent,” the prime minister said.

The prime minister’s call to the SCO members came in the wake of the recent flash floods in Pakistan that wreaked havoc with the livelihood and infrastructure across the country.

He mentioned that Pakistan was braving the disaster of floods, where hill torrents and massive rains killed 1,400 people including 400 children while millions of houses were damaged partially or completely.

“I earnestly appeal to all of you that let the SCO stand up and take steps against this devastation through sustainable programmes,” he said.

PM Sharif said the country never faced such level of climate-induced catastrophe in its history that inflicted disaster upon human lives, infrastructure, livestock, and crops.

He stressed the dire need for assistance from the international community to help Pakistan overcome the problems in the wake of floods, including relief, rehabilitation, and control of water-borne diseases.

“In view of the massive disaster, I would be very honest to urge this forum to extend assistance to Pakistan and chalk out plans regarding climate change for our future generations,” he said.