ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Thursday that a process has been started to prepare a National Adaptation Plan for building resilience to climate change.
Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman told the House during question hour that the aim is to reduce vulnerabilities to climate impacts by creating comprehensive medium and long term plans including the integration of adaptation measures into national policy.
She said Pakistan has been using nature based solutions and ecosystem system based adaptation in its national efforts to build climate resilience. Sherry Rehman said that Pakistan Climate Resilient Urban Policy Framework is being formulated which will take into account opportunities and challenges in achieving green and resilient urban development.
The Minister for Climate Change regretted that Pakistan is facing the brunt of the climate crisis despite its small carbon footprint. Responding to a question, she said a biggest initiative of Living Indus has been envisaged after consultations with the provinces in order to protect the Indus River from environmental degradation.
The House also held discussion on the situation arising out of the recent floods in the country. The members suggested the government construct new dams, plant more trees, remove encroachments along waterways and upgrade drainage system to avert floods devastation in future. They said maximum relief should be extended to the flood victims.
Parliamentary Secretary for Education Zeb Jaffar said the government has taken several initiatives to ensure digital literacy across the country. She said a project is in the implementation phase to establish one hundred smart classrooms in the universities by the end of this year.
Responding to a question, Parliamentary Secretary for Power Division Rana Iradat Sharif Khan said mosques are exempted from TV fee in electricity bills. He said about two hundred, fifty four thousand and six hundred and ninety seven mosques are registered with DISCOs and no TV fee is being charged from them.
He however said if a mosque is being charged TV fee, it should forward an application to the relevant department in order to get its consumer category changed to mosque. Minister for National Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema responding to the remarks of Ghous Bux Khan Mahar of GDA assured free of cost seeds will be provided to the farmers of the flood ravaged areas.
He said his ministry has transferred five billion rupees to the National Disaster Management Authority for procurement of seeds. He said four billion rupees more will be provided for this purpose. He said it is our effort to revive the flood hit areas and uplift the agriculture sector.
Earlier, in his remarks, Ghous Bux Khan Mahar while highlighting the problems faced by the flood affected people, said all the political parties should stand together to address the current challenges including the one posed by the floods. Meanwhile, the National Assembly also passed a resolution demanding the government rename Islamabad International Airport as Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
The resolution moved by Special Assistant on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Nawabzada Iftakhar Ahmed Khan Babar stated that the previous government had changed the name of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Airport to Islamabad International Airport. The resolution said the Pakistani nation can never forget the sacrifices of the Bhutto Family and its role in the framing of the 1973 constitution. The House will now meet tomorrow (Friday) at 11:00 am.