Heavy price paid by country: Pakistan should be compensated for carbon emission crimes of other states: PDP chief

KARACHI: Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor has said the recent ‘monsoons on steroids’ are termed the result of climate change due to huge carbon emissions in which the share of Pakistan is about just one percent, but despite this nation alone has paid a huge price of the remaining 99 percent global carbon emissions, adding now the world should show their moral responsibility and pay adequate compensation to Pakistan and Pakistanis.

He said that Pakistan should be properly compensated for paying a heavy price for world carbon emission crimes. The economy of the country is shattered, its social fabric torn apart and millions of its people pushed to homeless, hunger and diseases. The response of global community to assist Pakistan to cope with this mega human crisis is shamefully cold.

He said the world community has overall left Pakistan and Pakistanis ignored and abandoned. Even the NATO countries for whom Pakistan fought the ‘war on terror’ have turned their blind eye to Pakistan and Pakistanis which are braving one of the most serious human crisis of their history. In fact we deserved this because we have always fought proxy wars and compromised our own national interests to please the capitalist economy.

Altaf Shakoor said ideally the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other international lenders should write off all loans of Pakistan immediately.

He said the world community should open their heart and purse to help the Pakistanis at these trying times. Pakistan needs millions of tents, food stuff, field hospitals and medicines on emergency basis. The international response matching to this mega crisis is yet being seen, which is sad and disappointing. The nature is teaching Pakistan hard lessons not to fight proxy wars and to tailor national policies as per its own interests and not to become a client state.

Altaf Shakoor demanded of the government to announce stop paying all foreign loans and their interests at least for ten years to salvage its shattered economy. He said all-out resources be allocated to improve flood drainage system and now this pattern of rains would likely to be braved next year and in future.

He said moreover water storage capacity should be improved on war footing as due to fast melting of glaciers Pakistan is going to face huge water deficiencies in near future. He said irrigation; water storage and flood drainage systems should be handed over to army as these things are now serious matters of national defence. He said we need to change our overall security parameters as now we face a huge threat in shape of climate change.

Altaf Shakoor demanded to send army for urgent de-watering of agricultural land by digging new flood water drainage channels on war footing basis. He said if we failed to save our farmlands a dreadful hunger and starvation would be fate of this poor nation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022