INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned Friday that his country&s worst-ever floods were a sign of climate catastrophes to come around
the world, as he urged justice for developing nations that bear little responsibility for warming.Unprecedented monsoon downpours flooded a
third of the country — an area the size of the United Kingdom — killing nearly 1,600 people and displacing more than seven million.What
happened in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan,& he said in a passionate address to the United Nations General Assembly, adding that lost
homes, decimated livelihoods and deluged cropland had meant that for many, life had &changed forever,& AFP reported.Sharif said injustice
was inherent in the crisis, with his country of 220 million people at &ground zero& of climate change but responsible for less than one
percent of carbon emissions.Why are my people paying the price of such high global warming through no fault of their own? Nature has
unleashed her fury on Pakistan without looking at our carbon footprint, which is next to nothing,& he said.It is therefore entirely
reasonable to expect some approximation of justice for this loss and damage,& he continued, adding his voice to growing calls among
developing countries for financial compensation from rich polluters, AFP reported.The issue of &loss and damage& payments is deeply
contentious.Supporters argue that historic polluters have a moral imperative to pay for the loss and damage already caused by multiplying
extreme weather events, which have not been prevented by measures to mitigate or adapt to global warming.The idea has so far been shot down
by rich nations, but UN chief Antonio Guterres endorsed the proposal a few days ago and it is due to be discussed at the next UN climate
summit in Egypt.Pakistan has estimated total financial losses at $30 billion, and on Friday its finance minister Miftah Ismail tweeted the
county was seeking debt relief from bilateral creditors.Turning his attention to neighboring Afghanistan, Sharif urged the international
community to heed a $4.2 billion UN appeal for humanitarian and economic assistance and release the country&s financial reserves, frozen
since the Taliban seized power last year.Pakistan is working to encourage respect for the rights of Afghan girls and women to education and
Yet, at this point, isolating the Afghan Interim Government could aggravate the suffering of the Afghan people, who are already destitute,&
he said.The United States recently set up an outside fund to manage Afghanistan&s frozen assets, saying it did not trust the Islamic Emirate
of Afghanistan, AFP reported.The post Pakistan&s dire floods signal global climate crisis, PM tells UN first appeared on Ariana News.
