ISLAMABAD
Unprecedented rains and floods have caused massive devastation in various parts of the country especially in Sindh and Balochistan and the Government has announced a state of emergency owing to huge loss of life, property, infrastructure, livestockand livelihoods.
This was said by Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad during weekly press briefing here in FO Friday.
He held millions of people have been upended from their homes. Around 33 million people have been affected. Close to 1000 lives have been lost. Rescue and relief operations are facing difficulties due to washed away infrastructure.
The Government – Federal and Provincial Governments and various departments and agencies including NDMA and PDMAs, civil administration and armed forces – are leading a coordinated humanitarian response, for which all available resources and capacities are being deployed and mobilized. A National Emergency Operations Center is operating, and a National Relief Coordination Committee constituted by the Prime Minister is working under the chair of the Minister for Planning.
The Prime Minister is himself steering the overall effort. As you would have been following, the Prime Minister was in Sukhar a while ago visiting the flood hit areas, along with FM Bilawal and other Ministers and senior officials. Earlier this morning the Prime Minister met a group of Ambassadors to sensitize them of the scale of human tragedy.
As always, the Government’s efforts are being complemented and supported by the entire Pakistani nation, with people, civil society and humanitarian organizations stepping forward in big numbers for relief work in the spirit of generosity and solidarity with the affected brothers and sisters.
The scale of the disaster is so huge that it requires urgent cooperation and support from the international community. We are grateful to the UN, IFIs, and a host of our partners and friendly countries who are stepping forward with assistance. A UN Flash Appeal is also going to be launched on Tuesday 30 August simultaneously from Geneva and Islamabad.
Millions of our overseas Pakistanis are also ever ready and willing to contribute to this effort. As you are aware the Government has also established the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund 2022. The Fund shall is accepting donations / contributions both from home and abroad. Our Missions around the world are reaching out to Pakistani communities to facilitate and mobilize flood relief activities.
It is my appeal to all media colleagues to spread this message far and wide and raise awareness about this dire situation.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with the flood affectees. May Allah Almighty help the nation in facing this challenge with strength, resilience, and characteristic Pakistani patriotic and philanthropic spirit. Amen.
I am sure you would have followed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to Qatar from 23-24 August, on invitation of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar.
During the visit, the Prime Minister held in-depth consultations with the Qatari leadership. The Prime Minister met the Amir of Qatar, the Qatari Prime Minister, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Investment Authority and a delegation of Qatar Business Association.
During various meetings, both countries agreed to increase institutional coordination besides enhancing cooperation in agriculture, food and energy sectors. Leaderships from both sides also agreed to encourage Qatar’s investment in the fields of renewable energy, tourism and hospitality sectors. Prime Minister Sharif thanked His Highness Amir of State of Qatar for Qatar Investment Authority’s readiness to invest USD 3 billion in various commercial and investment sectors in Pakistan.
The Prime Minister addressed a Pakistan-Qatar Trade and Investment Roundtable that was attended by top Qatari business and corporate heads and Pakistani business community. He also visited FIFA World Cup Stadium where he appreciated the sports facilities as well as the unique building design. The Prime Minister Sharif expressed good wishes for the Qatari leadership and people for hosting the mega sporting event.
We take great pride in that the official football for FIFA 2022 ‘Al-Rihla’ is manufactured in Pakistan, known for its world-class football-manufacturing prowess.
Last week the Prime Minister received the new Australian High Commissioner and also met a delegation of students from Harvard University. Earlier this week, Ms. Ulla-MaijaRantapuska, Investment Manager, Finnfund, Finland, accompanied by the Honorary Consul General of Pakistan for Finland called on the Prime Minister. During his visit growing opportunities for investment in Pakistan including in the IT, energy, agriculture, industries and e-commerce sectors came under discussion.
Yesterday, there was a telephone call between Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Foreign Minister Bilawal expressed gratitude to his Saudi counterpart for additional one-billion-dollar investment in Pakistan. The Foreign Minister also informed the Saudi Foreign Minister about the devastation caused by the unusual floods in Pakistan and appreciated Saudi Arabia’s assurance of taking all possible steps to help the flood victims. Both leaders also discussed promotion of bilateral relations.
We continue to be deeply concerned over the gravely disturbing developments and increasing intolerance in India.
I reiterate Pakistan’s strong condemnation of sacrilegious remarks against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) made by another BJP official. This is the second time in the last three months that a senior BJP leader has made disrespectful comments towards our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) denoting the worrying yet unmistakable slide of today’s India towards Islamophobia.
Pakistan demands the Indian government to take immediate and decisive action against the BJP members habitually involved in attacking Islam and targeting the dignity of beloved Prophet (PBUH). Pakistan also calls on the international community to take urgent cognizance of the aggravating situation of Islamophobia and overt espousal of anti-Muslim and anti-Islam agenda of the BJP-RSS combine.
I would also like to invite your attention to the recent spate of false terrorism-related assertions made by India in which some detached alleged incidents are being distorted and presented as a so-called ‘terror’ plot against India. Pakistan firmly rejects such allegations, he held.
Pakistan also urges the international community to take immediate cognizance of the fact that India is yet again resorting to classic ‘false flag’ methods to advance its sinister designs and that this could have serious implications for peace and security in the region. The international community must urge India to act responsibly.
You would have seen our statement on India’s announcement of the findings of an internal Court of Inquiry regarding the incident of firing of a rogue supersonic missile into Pakistani territory on 9th March 2022, and their decision to terminate the services of three Indian Air Force (IAF) officers reportedly found responsible for the reckless incident. Pakistan categorically rejects India’s purported closure of the highly irresponsible incident and reiterates its demand for a joint probe. The measures taken by India in the aftermath of the incident and the subsequent findings and punishments handed by the so-called internal Court of Inquiry are totally unsatisfactory, deficient and inadequate. India must immediately provide specific responses to the questions raised by Pakistan regarding the command and control system in place in India, the safety and security protocols and the reasons for India’s delayed admission of the missile launch.
Pakistan also remains seriously concerned over the release of 11 convicted criminals serving life sentence for the gang rape of Bilkis Bano, a five months’ pregnant woman, and the murder of her 7 family members, including a three-year-old child, in the infamous 2002 Gujarat riots.
It is beyond reason how and why these criminals have been allowed to walk away without the completion of their life sentence. This miscarriage of justice is painful for the family of the victims as well as for the Muslim community in India as a whole. It clearly shows how the Indian legal system has been compromised to serve and protect the interests of the ruling BJP-RSS nexus. There has been outcry against this decision within India, particularly among Muslims, legal fraternity and women rights groups.
Coming over to the situation in IIOJK.
You must have followed that the Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and a strong protest was lodged on the extra-judicial killing of a Pakistani prisoner, Muhammad Ali Hussain, by Indian Occupation Forces in a fake encounter that took place in Arnia, IIOJK.
Muhammad Ali Hussain had been jailed in Kot Bhalwal Prison in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) since 2006.
The Indian diplomat was told that Mr. Hussain’s death under mysterious circumstances at a location away from the prison, has once again substantiated Pakistan’s long-standing position that Indian Occupation Forces in the IIOJK are routinely involved in undertaking staged, choreographed attacks and extrajudicial killings of Pakistani and Kashmiri prisoners. He was also reminded of the case of Zia Mustafa, another Pakistani prisoner, who was murdered by Indian authorities in a similar fake encounter last year.
We also strongly condemn the martyring of two youth in Rajouri by the Indian occupation forces. Just yesterday, Indian troops martyred three innocent young Kashmiris in cold-blood in a village of Uri, Baramulla district.
It is worrying that Indian troops, paramilitary and police personnel have stepped up fake encounters, cordon and search operations and house raids to suppress the Kashmiris’ ongoing freedom movement.
We denounce such undemocratic, and blatantly illegal acts of Indian occupation forces in IIOJK.
We reiterate our demand for release of all illegally detained political prisoners and Hurriyat leaders, particularly Yasin Malik, who are languishing in different jails of IIOJK and India.
We also condemn India’s continued detention of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who was not allowed to deliver Friday sermons today.
Pakistan also reiterates its call to the international community to hold India accountable for its gross and systematic violations of international humanitarian law and ensure that Pakistani and Kashmiri prisoners under Indian custody are not expended as cannon fodder in the execution of India’s nefarious designs in the IIOJK.
Pakistan rejects Indian occupation authorities’ sinister move to grant voting rights to Indian citizens in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir that reeks of the sinister designs of institutionalizing ‘settler colonialism’.
The realization of sustainable peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia remains contingent upon peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
It is the responsibility of the international community to come together and demand India’s compliance with its international obligations within the agreed legal framework espoused by the comity of civilized nations and in keeping with numerous Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
Before concluding, let me also share that the Secretary General OIC HE Hassan Brahim Taha is scheduled to visit Pakistan from 30th to 31st August 2022. This will be OIC SG’s first bilateral country visit to Pakistan. You would recall that he was in Pakistan twice earlier for the OIC CFM 17th Extraordinary Session of OIC CFM in December 2021 and for the 48th Session of OIC CFM in March 2022.
He will hold various high level engagements. We will share further details of the visit in due course.
