ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stated that Pakistan is facing flood catastrophe due to climate-induced global warming, which has emerged as one of the most potent challenges facing the world.

He said that the massive economic damage on top of the economic crisis had undermined Pakistan’s capacity to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and urged the international community to step forward and help Pakistan deal with this calamity of epic proportions.

He was talking to Duarte Pacheco, president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), who called on Monday. Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Division Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Special Assistants to Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and Romina Khursheed Alam were also present on the occasion.

Shehbaz Sharif has asked the IPU to play its role in raising awareness about the impacts of climate change and help mobilise global support for the developing countries facing the climate crisis owing to global warming. He said that the world should pursue climate justice as an ideal to deal with the threat, which was real and redefining our lives.

He added that despite its shortcomings, democracy was still the best system in the world that was a vehicle to realise people’s aspirations. He termed fake news as one of the major challenges facing democracy.

The prime minister also mentioned the worst human rights abuses in Indian Occupied Kashmir, particularly after August 5, 2019, and said that the violation of fundamental human rights had exposed the so-called democratic face of India.

Duarte Pacheco expressed condolence on the loss of precious human lives during the recent floods and expressed his grief over the massive havoc caused to the infrastructure across the country. He supported Pakistan’s case with respect to climate change and stressed upon the developed countries to make strategy to control the carbon emissions.

He also appreciated the National Assembly of Pakistan for organising the 3rd IPU Regional Seminar of the Asia Pacific Region on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals. He said that the event would help synergise regional efforts to achieve SDGs.