ISLAMABAD: A delegation led by Canada’s Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan called on Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar here on Monday and expressed his deep sympathies for the flood victims and hoped for early rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Appreciating their visit to Pakistan at a critical time, she thanked Sajjan and accompanying members of the delegation for showing solidarity with the flood affectees.
She underlined the vast scale of devastation caused by the catastrophic floods which have affected more than 33 million people, destroyed critical infrastructure, and washed away four million acres of crops.
She added that the calamity will have long-term adverse impact on food security, health, and the economy in Pakistan. The Minister of State stressed that Pakistan, despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, was bearing the brunt of climate crisis.
She underlined the urgent need for unified and decisive action by the international community to combat climate change and enhance climate financing to build resilience, especially in vulnerable developing countries.
The minister further emphasized that, although the government was engaged in rescue and relief efforts, reconstruction and rehabilitation will require effective mobilization and long-term commitment of resources on part of the international community.
Bilateral relations between Pakistan and Canada were also discussed and both sides expressed satisfaction at growing depth of the ties between both countries.
The minister noted that Canada’s development projects in Pakistan have contributed towards women empowerment and socio-economic uplift.
She expressed the desire for cooperation in the areas of climate change, agriculture, and people-to-people contacts.
Sajjan maintained that Canada was committed towards supporting Pakistan in dealing with aftermath of the floods and its efforts to build climate-resilient structures.
Minister Sajjan is leading a Canadian delegation to Pakistan to assess the level of devastation caused by floods. The delegation also includes three Pakistani-origin members of Canadian Parliament namely Iqra Khalid, Salma Zahid and Shafqat Ali.
