Climate change threatens global community alike: Masood Khan

Islamabad: Pakistan Ambassador to the US Masood Khan has urged the international community to find collective solutions to dealing with the challenges of climate change and its dire consequences for the planet.

The floods in Pakistan and the hurricane in Florida have proved that even if you are a developed country like the United States you have the same challenges when it comes to climate change although you have better, resilient infrastructure.

In an interview with Mr. Dennis Wholey for the program "This is America and The World" broadcast by the leading US media outlet ‘Public Broadcasting Service’ (PBS), the Ambassador emphasized that the countries cannot be divided into islands, assuming that one island would remain secure and the other would vulnerable to climate catastrophes.

Discussing immediate and long-term needs of Pakistan at this difficult hour of climate-induced calamity, the Ambassador said Pakistan needs massive support from the international community for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Masood Khan suggested that debt restructuring would provide Pakistan with much needed fiscal space enabling it to allocate its resources for building climate resilient infrastructure for its people.

On Pak-US relations, Masood Khan said that the two countries were pursuing a positive agenda.

He said Pak-US relations should not be confined to strategic objectives alone. He added that we must strengthen our cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, energy and climate sector.

Encouraging US investors to reap the benefits offered by Pakistan's economy, especially in the tech sector, Masood Khan observed that there will be exponential growth (in the sector) because of increase in human capital, tech savvy young population.

On a question about the use of nuclear weapons, the Ambassador said nuclear capability is acquired and designed basically for deterrence and equilibrium. The actual use of nuclear weapons could trigger a global catastrophe. He said all countries, particularly the ones having nuclear weapons, should demonstrate restraint and responsibility.