Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry addressing the National Assembly during Wednesday’s session. Photo:X
ISLAMABAD:
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry informed the Senate on Friday that more than 80% of international pledges made during the 2022 floods were in the form of soft loans rather than grants.
Responding to questions during Question Hour, the minister said Pakistan ultimately received less than 50 percent of the total pledged amount, with most of the commitments tied to tiered disbursement conditions and frameworks.
The government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has decided that losses caused by recent natural disasters will be covered at the national level, he said.
He said the federal and Punjab governments have compensated the affected families from national resources.
The minister said Pakistan had entered into 16 international climate-related agreements since 1990. These agreements covered global commitments on climate change adaptation, mitigation, environmental protection and building resilience, he said.
On international financing mechanisms, he said Pakistan was currently engaged in three major programs including the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Adaptation Fund projects.
Replying to another question, he said climate change was a global crisis requiring global attention and Pakistan would continue to highlight its vulnerabilities in every diplomatic forum.
