Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that he would like to suggest to the Chinese delegation, currently on a visit to Pakistan, to sign an agreement with Pakistan on disaster management before returning to their country. He was talking to a special delegation of experts of China’s disaster management department, Xu Xianbiao in Islamabad. He said that he and the entire nation was thankful to the government and the people of China for extending support to Pakistan during floods.

“No doubt, China has always helped Pakistan in crisis,” he said, adding this was most apt example of a longstanding relationship between the two countries. PM Shehbaz further said that several places in Sindh and Balochistan were still under floodwater. “And to make matters worse, the emergence of waterborne diseases there has created a new challenge for the government,” he said. He said he was also grateful to the employees of Chinese firms both in China and Pakistan for donating to the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund. Members of the delegation, on the occasion, briefed him about their visit to the flood-affected areas of Pakistan.

They informed him that they were here to provide technical assistance to Pakistan in launching short, medium and long-term projects for building an infrastructure that would not only help forecast floods better but also mitigate their impact. They told the prime minister that they had formed working groups in order to collaborate with concerned departments in Pakistan. PM Shehbaz welcomed the efforts being made by the delegation and expressed the hope that the expertise of the Chinese experts would prove fruitful for Pakistan in future in combating natural disasters. Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Sherry Rehman and concerned officials were also present on the occasion.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP