*PM holds telephonic conversation with Maldivian President
Prime Minister Imran Khan in a phone call to Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih emphasised the need for stronger ties between the two countries. PM reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to work with the Maldives to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, bilaterally and in the region,” the Prime Minister Office (PMO) said in a statement. Mr Solih tweeted: Had a very engaging phone conversation with Pakistan’s PM this afternoon in which we updated each other on COVID 19 measures in our respective countries and also, how we could further improve the already warm and fraternal relations between Pakistan and Maldives.
The call comes months after the Maldives surprised Pakistan through thwarting its bid for constituting an informal group of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation envoys at UN on Islamophobia on the pretext that India was being singled out, which could, therefore, be “detrimental to religious harmony in South Asia”. It is important to note that this is the second fence-mending call by PM to countries in South Asia in weeks. On July 22, Mr Khan called Bangladesh PM Hasina Wajed to express his desire for closer and fraternal relations. Ties between Islamabad and Dhaka had been tense for years. During his conversation with President Solih, the prime minister shared Pakistan’s perspective on peace and security condition in South Asia, underlining that the region needed peace and cooperation so that the South Asian nations could realise their true economic potential. Imran Khan renewed his invitation to President Solih to visit Pakistan. Pakistan accords high significance to its fraternal ties with the Maldives, a fellow SAARC member state, and is committed to more strengthening them in all fields, the PMO said. The two leaders exchanged views on the problems posed through COVID-19. PM Khan appreciated the Maldivian government’s efforts to contain the spread of the disease and shared his own experiences in the fight against the pandemic. Pakistan is being described as a successful example in the fight against COVID-19. The Coronavirus cases and deaths because of the disease have consistently been on the fall. However, experts warn that the threat may still not be over. PM Khan briefed Mr Solih on his “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” for developing countries to mitigate the severe socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. The prime minister underscored that developing countries were mainly vulnerable because of limited fiscal space and health sector infrastructure constraints and, therefore, required special measures, the PMO said.
[ads1]
PM launches biggest plantation compaign
On the other hand, Imran Khan recently launched the biggest tree plantation campaign in the history of Pakistan, targeting a plantation of around 3.5 million trees in a day across the country. Khan said that Pakistan is among the top ten countries in the world most affected by climate change. Our wheat production has fallen over the past two years because of climate change and unprecedented rainfall, the PM said. “If we keep continuing on this path, then some of the areas will become deserts,” he said. It is our responsibility to make Pakistan green for future generations. The 3.5 million saplings that we have planted today is just the start. He added that the nation also had to focus on cleaning the country’s rivers, in addition to making the country green. So first we have to make Pakistan green by planting trees, but simultaneously we also have to focus on cleanliness and make our rivers clean once again. Planting trees will also help in cleaning our climate and lessening pollution, he said. Presently Pakistan is among those few countries that have successfully managed to control the pandemic,” the premier said, adding that that the world now recognises Pakistan’s successful strategy. Earlier, in a tweet, the premier had invited everyone to join him today in planting trees all over Pakistan. He had also asked the parliamentarians, ministers, chief ministers, and Tiger Force volunteers to participate in the biggest tree planting campaign. The target is 35 lakh trees in a day though we will try to exceed it, PM said. International ambassadors such as the Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing, Azerbaijan Ambassador Ali Alizada, and Turkish Ambassador Ihsan Mustafa Yurdaku also contributed to the drive by planting saplings at their respective embassies. Special Assistant to the PM on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said that 2.0 million saplings would be planted in KPK, 1.2 million in Punjab, 303,646 in AJK, 57,000 in Balochistan, and 15,000 in GB. It is also said that the Tiger Force could create history through planting almost 2 million trees in one day. He also appreciated the 350,000 young members of the force who performed their duties during the pandemic.