ISLAMABAD: The International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan will be held in Geneva on January 9, 2023, to mobilise the global community’s support towards ‘building back better’ after the recent devastating floods in the country.
Speaking at her weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres will co-chair the conference.
She said that Pakistan will present the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Recovery and Resilience Framework (4RF) at the conference, adding that the 4RF document is based on the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), launched on 28 October 2022, which estimated flood damages to exceed US$ 14.9 billion, economic losses over US$ 15.2 billion, and reconstruction needs over US$ 16 billion.
She said that they will engage the international community to mobilize support towards building back better after the devastating floods. “It will also be an opportunity to hold an informed dialogue on climate adaptation and resilience, and to discuss supportive arrangements for the recovery processes,” she added.
The spokesperson further said that the prime minister and the UN secretary general have jointly addressed an invitation letter to donor countries, international financial institutions, and other development partners for this conference.
To a query about the Climate Change Conference (COP27), she said that a number of important decisions were taken at the conference and one major outcome from Pakistan's perspective was the agreement by consensus that a “Loss and Damage Fund” will be established.
For that purpose, she added that a transition committee has been established, which is negotiating the various aspects and discussing the TORs of the fund. “Pakistan has high hopes that once it is operationalised, climate change would receive the attention that it deserves at the international level,” she added.
To another question about media reports about sale of an old building of Pakistan Embassy in Washington, she said that the cabinet has approved the sale of old chancery building on R-street in Northwest Washington DC on recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee.
She said that the building was smaller of the two buildings in which the Embassy of Pakistan was situated in the past and had become vacant in 2003 when the Embassy moved to new premises.
“The sale of the property had become important as not only was it vacant and in disrepair but also because the building no longer enjoyed diplomatic status and was subject to local building and taxation regulations,” she explained.
The government of Pakistan has therefore decided, after a thorough inter-ministerial process, that the property will be sold in an open bidding process fulfilling all codal and legal formalities, she added.
To another question about India’s involvement in state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan, she said that on Wednesday, Foreign Secretary also met diplomatic envoys and shared details of the dossier with them that contained undeniable evidence of India’s state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan.
“Our Missions abroad will raise the findings of the dossier with the host governments. We will also present this dossier at the United Nations. Pakistan will continue to raise it at every relevant forum, bilateral or multilateral,” she added.
To a question about pending salaries and other expenses of Pakistan missions abroad, she said that there is a process under which the government allocates salaries and other financial support to the missions abroad.
“These steps sometimes involve occasional delays. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance have been closely engaged in order to resolve these issues. These efforts have borne results and missions have started receiving funds,” she said.
She said that it is the policy of the government to ensure smooth functioning of Pakistani missions abroad, and all relevant departments of the government are committed towards this objective. “Pakistani diplomats and Missions abroad remain committed to representing Pakistan and performing their functions,” she added.
About the recent attack on a Pakistani diplomat in Kabul, she said that Pakistani authorities are in contact with Afghan counterparts and are closely following the situation there.
“We are also working to ensure the safety and security of our diplomats and our missions in Afghanistan. Our C’d A is still in Pakistan and he will stay here until the consultation processes are complete,” she added.
On the current situation in Afghanistan, she said that Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar recently visited Kabul and the issues related to security were discussed at length.
“We are concerned about the security situation and we have shared our concerns. We have received certain assurances and we hope those assurances will be fulfilled,” she hoped.
Responding to another query about an earlier attack on Chaman border, she said that the matter has been handled at an “appropriate” level and discussions are ongoing between the two sides at various levels.
To another query about the registration of an FIR by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officer allegedly about forged documents that were given to him, the spokesperson said that the ministry came to know through social media about the complaint, the details of which are being ascertained. “The complainant was earlier proceeded against under the Civil Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules 2020 in two inquiries. In one inquiry, he was found guilty and was awarded some penalties while in another inquiry he was exonerated,” she said.
She further said that the officer has lodged a “baseless” complaint against the inquiry officer and the Departmental Representative – both of them have nothing to do with the tampering of the documents. “They discharged their official duties assigned to them as per rules and procedures,” she added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022