Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called upon the developed nations to help the developing countries come out of debt traps mainly caused by the natural disasters due to climate change.

He was speaking at the panel discussion “SDG Moment 2024” on the sidelines of 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan witnessed the worst flooding in its history in 2022 due to climate change, resulting in an estimated economic loss of 30 billion dollars.  He said the developed and rich countries were responsible for the carbon emissions, and they should shoulder the responsibility of assisting the developing societies.

Talking about education in Pakistan, the Prime Minister said that 25 million children are currently out-of-school, and steps are underway to get them enrolled.  He said both as Chief Minister of Punjab and Prime Minister, he took several revolutionary initiatives to promote education and empower underprivileged segments of society.

Among these initiatives is the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, the largest program of its kind in South Asia, which has benefited hundreds of thousands of high-achieving students from poor backgrounds by providing stipends for education both domestically and abroad.

Additionally, he mentioned the establishment of Daanish Schools, which cater specifically to talented, underprivileged, and orphaned children. Equipped with modern facilities and quality teachers, these schools have produced numerous doctors, engineers, and scientists.

He said his government also started vocational training in the education institutions besides initiating a skilled development programme.

On the issue of terrorism, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan faced terrorism in its worst form after 9/11 that was pushed from across the border in which some eighty thousand Pakistanis were martyred. Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan suffered an economic loss worth 150 billion dollars in the fight against terrorism.