ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Raja Parvaiz Ashraf on Friday said tackling climate change required collective effort.

Talking about the unprecedented floods in Pakistan, the Speaker said the country had suffered loss of hundreds of lives, destruction of infrastructure, livestock and witnessed a livelihood crisis in the flood-affected areas. He expressed these views during his meeting with Members of European Parliament (MEPs) Herve Juvin and Virginie Joron in Parliament House Islamabad.

The Speaker appreciated EU and its member states for their continuous support and humanitarian assistance for relief and rehabilitation efforts for the flood affected in Pakistan.

Raja Pervez Ashraf said that Pakistan and European Union enjoyed long-standing cordial relations based upon mutual trust and unanimity of views on important international challenges.

He underlined the need to enhance inter-parliamentary relations to further strengthen Pak-EU relations.

The Speaker said that disinformation had damaged Pakistan’s real image in the west. Pakistan was a peace loving country, he said dispelling propaganda was vital to highlight peaceful image of the country. He said that Pakistan was destined to be prospering as it was developing in all socio-economic sectors.

Members of European Parliament Virginie Joron, said that they visited Pakistan from Gwadar to Kashmir and they witnessed peace loving people and a beautiful country. She said that they had been in Pakistan since last week and this had absolutely changed their perception about the country. She said that being member of EU Parliament, she would be in better position to reflect true image of Pakistan in Europe.

Herve Juvin talked about respecting and maintaining basic rights especially the right of identity.

Later, Members European Parliament also witnessed the session of National Assembly of Pakistan.-

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2022