LAHORE: German Ambassador Alfred Grannas in a meeting with Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Tuesday expressed the desire to promote cooperation with the Punjab government in various fields. “We are desirous of accelerated steps to expand the bilateral cooperation,” German diplomat, said. He also expressed regret over the loss of lives and property due to rains and floods.

First Secretary of the German Embassy Dorota Magdalena Berezicki, Chief Secretary Abdullah Sumbal, former Principal Secretary to CM GM Sikandar and others were also present. Issues of mutual interest, bilateral relations and increasing cooperation in various fields were discussed. It was agreed to increase cooperation in the fields of education, health and water storage. Germany expressed its willingness to provide technical assistance to the Punjab government regarding water storage.

The CM informed the German diplomat about the flood disaster and the rehabilitation activities. He added that Pakistan has been severely affected by climate change effects. It is not possible to describe the destruction caused by floods in different parts of Pakistan including Southern Punjab districts. This is a daunting challenge that all nations should immediately address by adopting a common plan of action, he emphasized.

The CM noted that a special package has been formulated to rehabilitate the affectees and asserted that the international community needs to fully support Pakistan in this hour of trial. ‘I had started the program of channelizing the water of hill torrents of Koh-e-Sulaiman in 2002 in my previous tenure; unfortunately, the succeeding government stopped this beneficial program. Now, we are again channelizing the water and building small dams,’ he added. The CM maintained that dams are necessary for Pakistan to prevent precious water from getting lost in the sea. A proper network of dams would have saved Pakistan from such devastations besides storing rainwater for future needs.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022