Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday vowed that the government would utilise \u201cevery penny\u201d of donations pledged at a donors\u2019 conference in Geneva for prosperity and rehabilitation of flood-hit people.\u00a0He said the world reposed trust in Pakistan and pledged worth over $9 billion in flood aid despite indiscriminate propaganda by the rivals.
\nHis media talk comes after Pakistan raised over $10 billion in pledges from donor countries in Geneva.
\nEarlier this week, international donors committed to give Pakistan a huge sum of donations exceeding $10bn to help it recover from last year\u2019s devastating floods. Officials from some 40 countries as well as private donors and international financial institutions had gathered for the meeting, co-hosted by Islamabad and United Nations.
\nFlanked alongside the federal cabinet members, the premier began the press conference by highlighting that the Geneva conference proved to be a \u201csuccess\u201d for Pakistan.
\n\u201cBe it bilateral or multinational donation, a sum of $9.7 billion is the total amount [that was pledged] and the Islamic Development Bank (ADB) held a major share of $4.2bn of the total financial commitments,\u201d he said.
\nGiving a breakdown of the amount pledged at the conference, the prime minister said Saudi Arabia committed $1 billion followed by China $100m, Qatar $25m, Canada $18.6m, Denmark $3.8m, European Union \u20ac87m, France \u20ac380m, Germany \u20ac84m, Italy \u20ac23m and Azerbaijan $2m.
\nThe premier said the amount pledged by \u201cfriendly countries\u201d showed respect for Pakistan, adding the countries would never have committed the amount had there been reservations over financial irregularities.
\nHe also heaped praise on Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his efforts in meeting foreign dignitaries and raising the case of Pakistan effectively.
\nThe PM maintained that the world leaders trusted the incumbent coalition government, adding \u201cit is now upon us to utilise the amount on infrastructural development and for the development of other important sectors.\u201d
\nHe also hailed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for his prospective plans to increase the deposit amount in the State of Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to $5bn.
\nHe said the government would keep striving to help flood-hit people until they were relocated to their homes.
\n\u201cIt is now our turn to put in our blood and sweat in taking forward the mission for the rehabilitation of our people.\u201d
\nTalking about tackling climate challenges, PM Shehbaz said the government was aware of the globally changing circumstances as reconstruction process will have to be robust and resilient through modern technology.
\n\u201cOnly time will tell to what extent we will be able to complete the target [of rehabilitation], but we will spare no effort,\u201d he vowed.
\nHe told journalists that every penny will be spent in a very transparent manner, while \u201ca third party audit will be conducted\u201d to ensure transparency of the process.
\nIn his address, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari termed the PM\u2019s foreign policy as \u201csuccessful\u201d, saying the government achieved \u201ctwo targets with a single shot\u201d.
\nBilawal said the requirement of $16bn [for flood recovery] in times of Covid as well as the crisis triggered by the Ukraine-Russia conflict was \u201cno joke\u201d.
\nThe minister regretted that the condition of flood-hit people was dismal at the moment as scores of them were living under the open sky without basic necessities. \u201cWe are striving harder to restore their lives to pre-flood time at the earliest,\u201d he added.
\nHe said it was now time to put in concerted efforts and help flood victims to steer them out of the crisis.
\nSpeaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said he and his team had a detailed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, adding the government would not burden the masses in the wake of an accord reached with the global lender.
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