Flood-hit Pakistan in urgent need of funds, Dar tells world
Addresses roundtable conference on flood situation in Pakistan: Also holds meetings with US officials
October 15, 2022 11:56 AM
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday appealed to the world community to help the flood-affected people of Pakistan, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.
He was speaking at the roundtable conference convened in the USA to discuss the situation, arising out of floods in Pakistan.
Dar informed the gathering that in order to rehabilitate the people displaced by floods and rebuild the damaged infrastructure, the country badly needed funds.
The finance minister briefed participants of the meeting about the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan, especially in the country’s south.
Representatives of the World Bank (WB), European Union (EU), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and international monetary organisations attended the conference.
Finance Minister meets IMF director
Besides attending the roundtable conference, Dar also had meetings with some senior officials of international money lending organisations.
The finance minister met with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director Jihad Azour and informed him of the challenges Pakistan was facing in the aftermath of floods.
He also briefed him about implementation on the loan programme.
Dar holds meeting with US officials
He also had discussions with Assistant Secretary Ramin Toloui and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu.
The US officials assured him of their country’s assistance to Pakistan in these times crisis, while Dar, on the other hand, praised the US for helping Pakistan in the rescue and relief activities.
There was also an exchange of views over the Pak-US ties.
Similarly, Dar met with UK Minister Vicky Ford and Saudi Development Fund Head Sultan Abdur Rehman Murshid.
In his meeting with the UK’s minister, he thanked him for the support his country had extended to Pakistan during floods, especially for the trade incentives it announced in the aftermath of the natural calamity.
Ford assured the finance minister that the UK would continue to assist Pakistan in the rehabilitation of flood-affected people as well as the reconstruction of infrastructure.
Talking to Saudi Development Fund Head, he thanked him for the assistance of flood-hit people of Pakistan.
Murshid told him that a delegation of the Fund would soon visit Pakistan.
Reporter: Waqas Azeem