Ashraf said that legislators of various parliaments in the world should play their part in the effective mitigation of the climate crisis…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistani National Assembly Speaker, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has said that global climate change is acting as a real threat to human security and effective measures should be taken to cope with it.
Addressing a two-day seminar jointly organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Pakistan National Assembly, Ashraf added on Tuesday that legislators of various parliaments in the world should play their part in the effective mitigation of the climate crisis.
Titled the “Third Inter-Parliamentary Union Regional Seminar on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals for Parliaments of Asia-Pacific” here at the parliament house, the seminar aimed to improve coordination among Asia-Pacific countries for devising ways and means of achieving sustainable prosperity.
Speaking at the event with local parliamentarians and foreign delegates in attendance, the Speaker said that his country is facing severe effects of climate change despite its negligible contributions to global warming, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Pakistan is ranked eighth among the countries most vulnerable to climate change despite contributing less than 1 per cent to global emissions, and the recent flood in Pakistan caused irreparable loss of precious lives and destruction to basic infrastructure, including roads, houses, schools, and basic health units,” he added.
He said that his country is making its best efforts to rescue and rehabilitate the affected people, but the world should also play its role in supporting Pakistan in the hour of need.
Speaking at the event, IPU President Duarte Pacheco urged the international community, especially the developed countries, to help Pakistan recover from the catastrophe of the floods.
He said that it is important for the developed world to show solidarity with the people and families of Pakistan, who suffered due to the catastrophic flood, and support the country to meet financial needs during the process of rescue, relief, and rebuilding in the flood-hit areas.
Sindh misery
Floods that devastated parts of Pakistan have left thousands in despair, however, it has added to the miseries of the already marginalized people of Sindh.
Experts warn that Sindh province of Pakistan is witnessing erratic rains and weather conditions, which has added to the plight of Hindus, who have already been facing adversity and severe pakistan”>institutional discrimination in Pakistan, reported Islam Khabar.
“I was running behind cars, which came to distribute the ration. I ran and ran for ration but did not get it. Instead got scratches on my leg and arm,” says a Hindu community member who is a farmer and the flood affected the roadside of Badin-Mirpurkhas.
As she shows her injuries, she reiterates that pain is a more painful empty stomach.
Pakistan has lost more than 1,000 people to floods, and about 33 million are displaced. Homes are inundated, roads and bridges swept away, and there are still many dead bodies that are missing. Sindh and Balochistan have suffered heavily, but Sindh is worse affected, reported Islam Khabar.
Badin, Dadu, or anywhere in the flood-affected areas of Sindh, affected have similar stories to share and at the core of complaints is the fact that the state has done nothing. Instead, it treats people like trash.
Moreover, the government’s camp at Government Polytechnic Institute at Dadu is pathetic, people live in conditions that are worse even for animals to live, reported Islam Khabar.
“Flood damaged our homes and now we are left to die by the government,” says an old woman in Badin.
The flood victims have no other option but to manage survival sans any help. The rescue camp is filthy, with no water, washrooms, and health facilities, including the availability of doctors.
Not many were ready to speak about their sufferings, as they feared the wrath of influential people. They were displaying their ID cards to show that they are residents who have suffered from floods. Some of them could not suppress their anger, reported Islam Khabar.
“Doctors are here to have tea and chat among themselves. But they do not have time to give us medical assistance,” said one of them, who hailed from KN Shah.
Earlier, he refused to talk to the media. But then he opened up by saying that the Sindh government must jump into action, adding on how the local authorities are neglecting people in the hour of crisis.
Many of them have developed skin diseases. There is malaria, diarrhoea, and many complain of throat pain. Even pregnant women do not have any facilities to keep themselves healthy and get medical help, reported Islam Khabar.
In Badin, the story is not different. The only other thing here was that religion played a role when it comes to the distribution of rations. There were many complaints that Shias, and Hindus, were not given rations. In Badin, one of the organizations refused to offer rations to Hindus.
Moreover, the army presence did not help people in KN Shah. Army personnel took boats for roaming.
A senior citizen said, “Army personnel beat them and ordered them to move one place to another place. Where do we go? Army does not give us anything.”
Another victim shared that one of the army officers slapped the flood-affected women. They did not have respect and care for people who had lost their homes. (IANS/ANI)
