ISLAMABAD: Pakistan wants to work with the Commonwealth in mobilizing international support for climate-vulnerable countries at the upcoming global climate conference in Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday, according to a statement from his office.
Pakistan joined hands with other developing nations in 2022 to call for a global fund to mitigate the impacts of climate-induced disasters at the COP27 conference in Egypt.
Pakistan is consistently ranked as one of the worst-affected countries by climate change, where erratic weather patterns such as heavy monsoon rains and heat waves are frequent. Unusually heavy rains and the melting of glaciers in July 2022 killed at least 1,700 people, affected over 33 million and caused more than $30 billion in damages to the South Asian country.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, who arrived in Pakistan this week on a five-day visit, called on PM Sharif with a five-member delegation in Islamabad. The two sides discussed the government’s youth program, climate change impacts and flood reconstruction efforts, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
“The Prime Minister said Pakistan wanted to work with the Commonwealth in helping mobilize more international support for climate-vulnerable countries like Pakistan at the forthcoming COP29 in Baku,” the PMO said.
Sharif described combatting climate change as a common priority for Pakistan and the Commonwealth nations, appreciating Scotland’s climate advocacy for Pakistan following the devastating 2022 floods.
The PMO said Scotland appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for post-flood reconstruction, hoping that the international community would provide more support in building Pakistan’s climate resilience.
Sharif and Scotland also discussed the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa later this year. The two spoke about ways in which the two sides could coordinate on building consensus on key issues of mutual interest and chart a roadmap for the Commonwealth.
Pakistan seeks Commonwealth’s help in mobilizing international support for climate-vulnerable countries
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Pakistan seeks Commonwealth’s help in mobilizing international support for climate-vulnerable countries
- Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland meets Pakistan PM to discuss climate change impacts, flood reconstruction efforts
- Pakistan, other developing nations have been pushing for a global fund to mitigate impacts of climate-induced natural disasters
Pakistan, UK discuss regional security, cross-border attacks as senior official visits Islamabad
- British envoy for Afghanistan Richard Lindsay’s visit comes at a time of a surge in militancy in Pakistan’s border regions
- Pakistani diplomat says both sides reviewed broader security challenges, emphasized coordination to address ‘shared concerns’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and British officials have discussed regional security challenges and cross-border attacks during talks in Islamabad, a Pakistani diplomat said on Tuesday, during a visit of the United Kingdom’s Afghanistan envoy, Richard Lindsay, to the Pakistani capital.
Pakistan and the UK regularly cooperate on counterterrorism and security, with a focus on intelligence-sharing to combat militant activity. Lindsay’s visit comes at a time of a rise in militancy in Pakistan’s western provinces, which border Afghanistan.
Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, said the discussions in Islamabad focused on the regional security situation, particularly the urgent challenge posed by cross-border attacks.
“We also exchanged views on the latest regional security developments and broader security challenges,” he said on X. “We emphasized the importance of continued cooperation and coordination to address shared concerns and promote regional stability.”
Islamabad frequently accuses Afghanistan of allowing its soil and India of backing militant groups, such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny this.
In recent years, Pakistan and the UK have engaged with each other on counterterrorism and cross-border crimes as part of bilateral cooperation.
Both sides held the second round of the Pakistan-UK Counter Terrorism Dialogue in London in February last year, reviewing global and regional threats and exchanging best practices. Over the years, armed forces of both countries have also maintained close cooperation, particularly in counterterrorism efforts and professional military training.
