ISLAMABAD: Highlighting Pakistan’s heightened vulnerability to climate change, PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, Sherry Rehman, on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the significant reduction in the climate change ministry’s budget.
Speaking during the ongoing budget debate in the Upper House, Senator Rehman criticized the government’s decision to slash the ministry’s funding from Rs3.5 billion to Rs2.7 billion. She warned that this cut would undermine national efforts in climate coordination, mitigation, adaptation, and hinder Pakistan’s access to global climate finance.
“The climate ministry has the critical responsibility of representing Pakistan in 27 international treaty commitments,” she said. “With such limited funding, how will it secure the transformational financing needed to address the climate emergency?”
Rehman stressed that Pakistan must treat climate change as a real and pressing emergency, not merely a rhetorical issue.
Criticism from Government Allies
PPP Senator Quratul-Ain Marri accused the government of sidelining its allies, stating that despite multiple rounds of dialogue, no meaningful outcomes had emerged.
“If the government genuinely wishes to work with its allies, it must do so with sincerity and commitment, rather than offering mere lip service,” she said.
Call for Long-Term Economic Strategy
BAP Senator Manzoor Kakar also voiced frustration, lamenting the lack of a long-term strategy to rescue Pakistan from its deepening economic crisis and ballooning debt. He emphasized the urgent need for structural reforms to break free from the ongoing financial instability.
