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Pakistan Calls for Climate Grants, Opposes Using Water as Political Weapon

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MENAFN

(MENAFN) Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on the international community Thursday to provide climate-vulnerable nations with financial assistance in the form of grants rather than loans, while cautioning against the use of water as a tool of political pressure during his speech at the COP31 summit.

Addressing delegates in Antalya, Türkiye, Sharif stressed that domestic efforts alone cannot adequately protect countries facing climate-related disasters, emphasizing the need for a coordinated and equitable international response.

"National effort cannot replace a fair and just global response when climate disaster strikes. Vulnerable countries need timely help and finance that does not deepen their debt. We call for grant-based finance, including public-private partnership, alongside significant enhancement of resilience and adaptation funds, which amount to survival funds, especially for struggling economies," he told the COP31 summit in the Turkish city of Antalya.

Sharif also highlighted the importance of protecting shared water resources, warning that access to water should never become a means of threatening other countries or endangering communities that depend on rivers downstream.

He insisted that "must never be weaponized" and stressed that no country should be permitted to jeopardize the livelihoods or safety of populations located along shared waterways.

"Water sharing agreements must be honored," he said.

The Pakistani leader's comments follow India's decision last year to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty and halt the exchange of water-related information with Pakistan. The move came after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that claimed the lives of 26 people.

Pakistan has faced repeated devastating floods in recent years, with major consequences for its population, infrastructure and economy. The disasters have caused numerous fatalities and generated billions of dollars in damage.

Recalling the scale of the country's climate-related challenges, Sharif noted that catastrophic flash floods in 2022 inundated approximately one-third of Pakistan's territory and affected around 33 million people.

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