Latest news with #MusadiqMalik
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pakistan slams climate ‘injustice' as deadly floods hit country again
Pakistan's climate change minister has slammed the 'crisis of injustice' facing the country and a 'lopsided allocation' of funding as heavy rains and the latest flash flooding cause more damage, destruction and loss of life. Officials in Pakistan said at least 32 people have been killed in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces since the start of the monsoon season. Last month, at least 32 people were also killed in severe storms in a country that has reported extreme weather events in the spring, including strong hailstorms. The Climate Rate Index report in 2025 put Pakistan top of the list of the most affected countries based on 2022 data. Then, extensive flooding submerged approximately a third of the country, affecting 33 million people – including killing more than 1,700, and caused $14.8bn worth of damages, as well as $15.2bn of economic losses. Last year, more floods affected thousands, and a heatwave killed almost 600 people. 'I don't look at this as a crisis of climate. I look at this as a crisis of justice and this lopsided allocation that we are talking about,' Pakistan's climate change minister, Musadiq Malik, told Al Jazeera. 'This lopsided allocation of green funding, I don't look at it as a funding gap. I look at it as a moral gap.' Earlier this year, a former head of the country's central bank said Pakistan needed an annual investment of $40 to $50bn until 2050 to meet its looming climate change challenges despite being responsible for about half a percent of global CO2 emissions. In January 2023, pledges worth about $10bn from multilateral financial institutions and countries were reported. The following year, Pakistan received $2.8bn from international creditors against those pledges. Earlier this year, the International Monetary Fund said Pakistan will receive $1.3bn under a new climate resilience loan programme, which will span 28 months. But Malik said those pledges and loans were not enough given the situation Pakistan finds itself in. 'Two countries in the world [China and United States of America] produce 45 percent of the carbon emissions. The fact that the top 10 countries of the world account for almost 70 percent of the carbon burden is also something people are aware of. But 85 percent of the world's green financing is going to the same 10 countries, while the rest of the world – some 180-odd countries – are getting 10 to 15 percent green financing. 'We are paying for it through these erratic climate changes, floods, agriculture devastation.' According to a study done last year by the climate change ministry and Italian research institute EvK2CNR, Pakistan is home to 13,000-plus glaciers. However, the gradual rise in temperatures is also forcing the melting of those glaciers, increasing the risk of flooding, damage to infrastructure, loss of life and land, threat to communities and water scarcity. 'In addition to land and life, flooding [due to glacier melt] swept away thousands of years of civilisation [in Sindh province]. The mosques, temples, schools, hospitals, old buildings, monuments, everything got washed away. 'Add to that the loss of education and access to health care, safe drinking water, waterborne diseases, lack of access to hospitals and clinics, and infant mortality,' the report said. Last month, Amnesty International said in a report that 'Pakistan's healthcare and disaster response systems are failing to meet the needs of children and older people who are most at risk of death and disease amid extreme weather events related to climate change'. 'Children and older people in Pakistan are suffering on the front line of the climate crisis, exposed to extreme heat or floods that lead to disproportionate levels of death and disease,' said Laura Mills, researcher with Amnesty International's Crisis Response Programme. This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Pakistan facing ‘crisis of injustice' in fight against climate change
Pakistan's climate change minister has slammed the 'crisis of injustice' facing the country and a 'lopsided allocation' of funding as heavy rains and the latest flash flooding cause more damage, destruction and loss of life. Officials in Pakistan said at least 32 people have been killed in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces since the start of the monsoon season. Last month, at least 32 people were also killed in severe storms in a country that has reported extreme weather events in the spring, including strong hailstorms. The Climate Rate Index report in 2025 put Pakistan top of the list of the most affected countries based on 2022 data. Then, extensive flooding submerged approximately a third of the country, affecting 33 million people – including killing more than 1,700, and caused $14.8bn worth of damages, as well as $15.2bn of economic losses. Last year, more floods affected thousands, and a heatwave killed almost 600 people. 'I don't look at this as a crisis of climate. I look at this as a crisis of justice and this lopsided allocation that we are talking about,' Pakistan's climate change minister, Musadiq Malik, told Al Jazeera. 'This lopsided allocation of green funding, I don't look at it as a funding gap. I look at it as a moral gap.' Funding shortfall Earlier this year, a former head of the country's central bank said Pakistan needed an annual investment of $40 to $50bn until 2050 to meet its looming climate change challenges despite being responsible for about half a percent of global CO2 emissions. In January 2023, pledges worth about $10bn from multilateral financial institutions and countries were reported. The following year, Pakistan received $2.8bn from international creditors against those pledges. Earlier this year, the International Monetary Fund said Pakistan will receive $1.3bn under a new climate resilience loan programme, which will span 28 months. But Malik said those pledges and loans were not enough given the situation Pakistan finds itself in. 'Two countries in the world [China and United States of America] produce 45 percent of the carbon emissions. The fact that the top 10 countries of the world account for almost 70 percent of the carbon burden is also something people are aware of. But 85 percent of the world's green financing is going to the same 10 countries, while the rest of the world – some 180-odd countries – are getting 10 to 15 percent green financing. 'We are paying for it through these erratic climate changes, floods, agriculture devastation.' According to a study done last year by the climate change ministry and Italian research institute EvK2CNR, Pakistan is home to 13,000-plus glaciers. However, the gradual rise in temperatures is also forcing the melting of those glaciers, increasing the risk of flooding, damage to infrastructure, loss of life and land, threat to communities and water scarcity. 'In addition to land and life, flooding [due to glacier melt] swept away thousands of years of civilisation [in Sindh province]. The mosques, temples, schools, hospitals, old buildings, monuments, everything got washed away. 'Add to that the loss of education and access to health care, safe drinking water, waterborne diseases, lack of access to hospitals and clinics, and infant mortality,' the report said. Last month, Amnesty International said in a report that 'Pakistan's healthcare and disaster response systems are failing to meet the needs of children and older people who are most at risk of death and disease amid extreme weather events related to climate change'. 'Children and older people in Pakistan are suffering on the front line of the climate crisis, exposed to extreme heat or floods that lead to disproportionate levels of death and disease,' said Laura Mills, researcher with Amnesty International's Crisis Response Programme. This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.
Business Recorder
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Creation of new executive service cadre proposed
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal proposed the creation of a new executive service cadre that would allow mid-career officers to serve in domains aligned with their expertise and interests, thereby, improving institutional effectiveness and job satisfaction. Federal Minister for Climate Change Musadiq Malik expressed serious concern that the Ministry of Climate Change does not currently have officers with relevant academic or professional backgrounds in environmental sciences. A high-level meeting on civil service reforms was jointly chaired in Islamabad on Tuesday by Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal and Federal Minister for Climate Change Musadiq Malik. The meeting was attended by Secretary Planning Awais Manzoor Sumra, as well as secretaries from the ministries of Finance, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Communications, Cabinet Division, and other senior officials. The meeting also review the progress made on previously issued directions concerning civil service reform and to evaluate steps taken so far. Federal Minister Musadiq Malik echoed these concerns and pointed out a critical gap within his own ministry. He observed that the Ministry of Climate Change does not currently have officers with relevant academic or professional backgrounds in environmental sciences. He questioned how a ministry can function effectively without domain knowledge and stressed the urgent need to prioritise technical expertise in public service roles. Malik underscored that it is not language but genuine skill and substance that drive results. Speaking in the meeting, Iqbal emphasised that Pakistan's over-reliance on the English language as a marker of competence has marginalised the majority of the population. He noted that no country in the world has achieved development solely because of proficiency in English, yet in Pakistan, this language-based system has held back nearly 90 per cent of its citizens. He stated that real progress requires valuing knowledge, skills, and professional competence over mere linguistic proficiency. According to the minister, equal opportunities must be created for all, regardless of their language background, to unlock the true potential of Pakistan's human capital. Sharing his broader observations, Musadiq Malik remarked that despite serving in five different ministries, he has yet to come across any with a well-defined work plan or measurable outcomes. He criticised the absence of annual work plans among secretaries, stating that without such frameworks, evaluating inputs and outputs is impossible. He concluded that reforms which do not directly aim to improve performance are inherently meaningless. Both ministers agreed that the discourse on civil service reforms must now move beyond policy discussions and result in actionable strategies to enhance efficiency, promote merit, and ensure institutional performance across government sectors. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
08-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan resists IMF's carbon levy
Listen to article Pakistan on Friday pushed back against the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s demand to impose a carbon levy on petroleum products, coal, and internal combustion engine cars, which the global lender is advocating to discourage the use of fossil fuels. The IMF has proposed that the existing petroleum levy be increased from Rs60 per litre to Rs70 per litre over three years, starting with Rs3 per litre in the first year, according to government sources. The additional revenue generated from the levy may be used for activities to promote green energy, according to the proposal. Sources said the IMF also wants the existing federal excise duty rates on internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to be increased, with the additional duty being treated as a carbon levy. Discussions were held on Friday between an IMF team and Pakistani officials from the Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Climate Change, Ministry of Industries, and the Federal Board of Revenue. On the same day, the government appointed Ali Pervaiz Malik as the new Petroleum Minister, while his predecessor, Dr Musadiq Malik, was appointed as Climate Change Minister. Sources said Pakistani authorities were not receptive to the IMF's demand and raised concerns about the use of funds generated in the name of climate protection, as well as federation-provincial issues. There were also concerns about imposing a carbon levy on coal, which falls under provincial jurisdiction, they added. Unlike a tax, which is shared with the provinces under the National Finance Commission, collections from a levy remain outside the distributable pool. However, in the case of a carbon levy, half of the revenue must be allocated to the provinces, according to sources. Sources also said the FBR supported the proposal to increase federal excise duty rates on cars. Cars in Pakistan are already heavily taxed, with taxation accounting for 36% to 45% of the total price, depending on the variant. The government currently imposes advance income tax, sales tax, federal excise duty, and hefty registration fees on new cars. The IMF had also raised the issue of a carbon levy last month during negotiations for the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), an IMF loan package designed to support climate-vulnerable nations. Pakistan is seeking over $1 billion from the IMF under this facility. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stated this week that disbursements under the RSF will be linked to actual climate-related spending by the country. One of the resilience conditions is the imposition of a carbon levy, which the lenders want Pakistan to apply to internal combustion engine vehicles and fossil fuels. According to government estimates, 10% of total carbon dioxide emissions originate from the transport sector, and a shift to cleaner vehicle sources will require massive funding and efforts. The Engineering Development Board is in the process of finalising a five-year New-Energy Vehicles (NEVs) policy. The ministry's initial estimates indicate that Pakistan will need at least Rs155 billion in additional funding by 2030 to replace combustion engine cars and motorcycles with clean-fuel-based alternatives. Nearly 80% of Pakistan's imported oil is consumed by the transport sector. Converting to cleaner energy vehicles could save foreign exchange reserves, but the transition is expensive and will require subsidies to lower vehicle costs and promote new infrastructure, including tax waivers and concessions, sources said. The IMF's proposal suggests that revenue from the carbon levy should be used to offset the high cost of two-wheeler and three-wheeler electric vehicles. According to the Engineering Development Board, traditional two-wheeler motorcycles are up to 100% cheaper than new-energy two-wheelers, while new-energy three-wheelers are up to 123% more expensive. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government aims to ensure that by 2030, up to 90% of new purchases of two- and three-wheelers are based on renewable energy sources. New technology-based four-wheeler cars are estimated to be 65% more expensive than combustion engine vehicles. The government aims for at least 30% of new car purchases by 2030 to be based on new technologies, sources said. According to the World Bank, a carbon tax could be beneficial to Pakistan's development from multiple perspectives. Pakistan imports nearly one-third of its energy in the form of oil, coal, and re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) at enormous cost, contributing significantly to the country's chronic fiscal stress, it added. Pakistan recently signed a $1.2 billion deal to buy Saudi oil on deferred payments. The facility was secured to meet balance of payments needs and will be used to purchase Saudi oil. The government is also planning to introduce National Vehicle Emissions Efficiency Standards aimed at promoting newer, more efficient vehicles.
