The Prime Minister arrives in Geneva for the disaster relief meeting.
In the second part of his tour abroad, Shehbaz will also stop in the United Arab Emirates.
ISLAMABAD: According to sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for one day as part of his trip to Geneva, where an international conference on Pakistan’s flood recovery will be place on Monday (today).
According to a press statement from the Prime Minister Office Media Wing, Shehbaz is in Geneva with a high-level team to co-chair the international conference on a “climate resilient Pakistan” with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, and Information Minister Marryium Aurangzeb are in the company of the Prime Minister.
The Express Tribune has confirmation from official sources that the prime minister would go to the UAE on Tuesday following his return from Geneva. The prime minister is anticipated to go with Army Chief Gen Syed Asim Munir, who is currently in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The international conference is being held in Geneva by Pakistan and the UN in an effort to rally support for the nation’s reconstruction following the disastrous floods of last September, which caused the displacement of about 8 million people and the death of at least 1,700 people in a disaster attributed to climate change.
Rebuilding millions of dwellings, thousands of kilometres of roads, and railway bridges would cost, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), over $16.3 billion. Around 250 attendees, including French President Emmanuel Macron, are anticipated at the event, according to the organisers.
The official document regarding the repair and rehabilitation of the flood-affected districts would be unveiled during the conference. The framework vision will be presented by Prime Minister Shehbaz, who will also stress the necessity of international cooperation and enduring partnerships for its implementation.
Shehbaz stated before departing that millions of Pakistanis in need of help rebuilding their lives after experiencing unparalleled damage due to floods hoped for kindness and togetherness. “In the course of human history, a turning moment has occurred. He claimed in a tweet that the robust future we create today will influence future generations.
The prime minister added that he will use the occasion to advocate for the flood victims in front of a global audience. He continued, “I will also shed light on measures my government has implemented for relief & rehabilitation. To repair vital infrastructure, reconstruct lives and livelihoods, and revitalise the economy, it is crucial to close the financial gap.
The prime minister will visit Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (tomorrow), which also happens to be Gen Asim’s last day in the UAE. According to Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief will go to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from January 4 to January 10.
Prime Minister Shehbaz’s trip to the UAE is thought to be related to Pakistan’s worsening economic crisis, while the reasons for the trip are yet unclear. On Saturday, the nation’s foreign exchange holdings at the central bank dropped to $4.5 billion, hardly enough to cover 25 days’ worth of imports.
China, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have previously aided Pakistan in avoiding imminent sovereign default, and it now seems that Islamabad is looking to them once more. Shehbaz has spoken with the Premier of China, Li Keqiang, in addition to the travel to the UAE in an effort to find an emergency cash deposit.
Analysts have, however, argued that Pakistan may not be best served by demanding monetary payments. Former Board of Investment (BoI) Chairman Haroon Sharif thinks Pakistan was leaning more and more on the Gulf States and China to resolve its “chronic balance of payment challenges.”
Haroon Sharif emphasised that it would be good for Pakistan to seek investment and participate into commercial relationships with these countries instead of simple bailouts, warning that cash contributions from these countries could have political and strategic repercussions.
