ISLAMABAD (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced in-principle the approval for climate and agricultural emergency in view of the ongoing monsoon and flood situation across the country.
In this regard, the prime minister will soon chair a meeting comprising the Chief Ministers of all four provinces and relevant officials to deliberate on a future strategy to mitigate further damage caused by the adverse effects of climate change.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday stressed upon formulation of a comprehensive roadmap and strategy to overcome the challenges posed by climate change, which had been pummeling the country with recurrent bouts of catastrophic effects.
Addressing a meeting of the cabinet, the prime minister noted that the recent floods and rains had caused vast devastation across the country with immense human and financial losses.
Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Wednesday said that the federal cabinet has approved the resumption of new gas connections across the country, ending the ban imposed in 2021.
Briefing the media on cabinet decisions along with Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, he said the government had responded to strong public demand by lifting the restriction on new connections.
He said the cabinet took several key decisions, including restoring new domestic gas connections, particularly in newly developed housing areas where residents had been forced to rely on LPG cylinders and alternative fuels.
The minister assured that both Sui companies had already completed procurement processes for meters and pipelines, and would immediately begin processing pending applications once the official notification is issued.
Considering the climate changes impacts, they should come up with a programme as they were confronted with huge challenges which could not be overcome overnight, he added.
The meeting of the federal cabinet was held here under the chairmanship of PM Shehbaz Sharif where the cabinet was briefed on the current flood situation and its damages. After thorough consultation, the decision to approve the emergency in-principle was taken.
