ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized his country’s resolve to fight climate change on Wednesday, urging the global community to recognize the shared responsibility to protect the planet by taking the right steps while moving forward.
Pakistan ranks among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change, having experienced severe droughts, floods and heat waves in recent years.
The catastrophic floods of 2022 particularly underscored this susceptibility, inflicting over $38 billion in damages to homes, farmlands and public infrastructure across the nation.
The prime minister, who is currently on a five-day China visit, issued the message on World Environment Day, which is commemorated annually on June 5.
“Today, on the occasion of #WorldEnvironmentDay, let us join hands to safeguard and preserve our environment, not only for the well-being of people but also for the survival of our planet,” he wrote in a social media post.
“Though we cannot turn back time, we can certainly make a significant impact on the health and sustainability of our environment by taking proactive steps toward endeavors to nurture and cultivate forests, revive and replenish dwindling water sources, and rehabilitate and revitalize exhausted soils,” he added.
In a detailed statement issued by his office in Islamabad, Sharif said his country had a firm resolve to combat environmental challenges and stands committed for contributing to global efforts toward sustainability.
“Initiatives such as the Green Pakistan Programme, Living Indus Initiative, and National Adaptation Plan, underscore our commitment to reforestation and ecosystem restoration, tackling issues of deforestation and biodiversity loss head-on,” he said.
The prime minister noted Pakistan’s climate diplomacy efforts, particularly its role in establishing a Loss and Damage Fund during COP27, had been widely recognized.
He maintained on the domestic front, Pakistan was actively working on developing sustainable long-term low-carbon development strategies with assistance from United Nations Development Program and the World Bank.
PM Sharif calls for global unity in climate action, highlights Pakistan’s commitment
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PM Sharif calls for global unity in climate action, highlights Pakistan’s commitment
- PM issues the message on World Environment Day for the well-being of people and survival of the planet
- He calls for ‘proactive steps’ to nurture and cultivate forests, revive and replenish dwindling water sources
Pakistan says repaid over $13.06 billion domestic debt early in last 14 months
- Finance adviser says repayment shows “decisive shift” toward fiscal discipline, responsible economic management
- Says Pakistan’s total public debt has declined from over $286.6 billion in June 2025 to $284.7 billion in November 2025
KARACHI: Pakistan has repaid Rs3,650 billion [$13.06 billion] in domestic debt before time during the last 14 months, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said on Thursday, adding that the achievement reflected a shift in the country’s approach toward fiscal discipline.
Schehzad said Pakistan has been repaying its debt before maturity, owed to the market as well as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), since December 2024. He said the government had repaid the central bank Rs300 billion [$1.08 billion] in its latest repayment on Thursday.
“This landmark achievement reflects a decisive shift toward fiscal discipline, credibility, and responsible economic management,” Schehzad wrote on social media platform X.
Giving a breakdown of what he said was Pakistan’s “early debt retirement journey,” the finance official said Pakistan retired Rs1,000 billion [$3.576 billion] in December 2024, Rs500 billion [$1.78 billion] in June 2025, Rs1,160 billion [$4.150 billion] in August 2025, Rs200 billion [$715 million] in October 2025, Rs494 billion [$1.76 billion] in December 2025 and $1.08 billion in January 2026.
He said with the latest debt repaid today, the July to January period of fiscal year 2026 alone recorded Rs2,150 billion [$7.69 billion] in early retirement, which was 44 percent higher than the debt retired in FY25.
He said of the total early repayments, the government has repaid 65 percent of the central bank’s debt, 30 percent of the treasury bills debt and five percent of the Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) debt.
The official said Pakistan’s total public debt has declined from over Rs 80.5 trillion [$286.6 billion] in June 2025 to Rs80 trillion [$284.7 billion] in November 2025.
“Crucially, Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP ratio, around 74 percent in FY22, has declined to around 70 percent, reflecting a broader strengthening of fiscal fundamentals alongside disciplined debt management,” Schehzad wrote.
Pakistan’s government has said the country’s fragile economy is on an upward trajectory. The South Asian country has been trying to navigate a tricky path to economic recovery under a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.
