ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday he was going to narrate Pakistan’s “story of anguish” to the international community after his country faced record rains and floods in recent months that swept away houses, crops and public infrastructure while affecting the lives of over 33 million people.
Pakistani officials and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres have blamed the issue of climate change for the devastating floods, though the South Asian nation contributes less than one percent to global carbon emissions causing erratic weather patterns.
The problem of environmental degradation is said to be primarily triggered by heavy economic activities generated by developed countries, though it is mostly poor nations which bear its brunt.
The prime minister said he was going to focus on the issue during his address to the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly after arriving in New York.
“Reached NY a few hours ago to tell Pakistan’s story to the world, a story of deep anguish & pain arising out of a massive human tragedy caused by floods,” he said in a Twitter post. “In my address at UNGA & bilateral meetings, I will present Pakistan’s case on issues that call for world’s immediate attention.”
According to the Associated Press of Pakistan news agency, the prime minister will attend a reception hosted by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and meet French President Emmanuel Macron later today.
He is also scheduled to hold a meeting with President of the European Union Council Charles Michel and participate in the Global Food Security Summit organized by the African Union.
The prime minister will attend a dinner reception hosted by US President Joe Biden and meet the top officials of World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
He will also host a luncheon in the honor of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his spouse and attend an official meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
The Pakistani delegation is primarily expected to take up the issue of climate change and recent floods in the country which have claimed more than 1,500 lives and displaced over 33 million people, though its top officials have started raising other important issues on the world stage as well.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday to push for the appointment of a UN envoy on Islamophobia while saying the problem had reached an “alarming” level in different parts of the world.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar also spoke on behalf of the Group of 77 and China while addressing the Transforming Education Summit 2022 where she lamented that millions of people were “held back from learning and living a life of dignity and empowerment.”
The Pakistani delegation is expected to interact with representatives of international donor agencies, with the prime minister scheduled to meet Microsoft founder Bill Gates along with other world leaders and high-profile officials.
