The civil society representatives and experts who participated in the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26)
of the United Nations Framework Conven
tion for Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Saturday appreciated Pakistan’s performance at COP26 and refuted the allegations leveled by a parliamentarian a day before.
They have asked the prime minister for a probe as to why a misleading propaganda was initi
ated by a parliamentarian at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting, an irrelevant forum for such matters. They hailed the leadership of Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Malik Amin Aslam Khan that made Pakistan chair several sessions
of the COP.
Pakistan was elected as a member
of the Six Non-Annex 1 members bureau, standing committee on finance, adapta
tion fund board, consultative group of experts, Paris Agreement compliance committee, Warsaw international mechanism on Loss/damage, adapta
tion committee, and technology executive committee. Pakistan will be chairing the G77+China group, and the Asia-Pacific Group next year (COP27).
Special Assistant to Prime Minister Malik Amin Aslam said: “Pakistan’s pavilion remained a happening place throughout the summit though we had only an 8 member delega
tion from our foreign office and ministry of climate change. The delega
tion was approved by the prime minister and we were not able to adjust any parliamentarian in the delega
tion for conference privileges.”
Amin alleged: “Perhaps that is the only bone of conten
tion for the wrong propaganda against the successful mission.”
Pakistan was elected to eight committees based on the performance while declared forest champion along with two other countries, he added. Amin told that Pakistan was also declared nature’s leader along with three other countries. “We are trying to translate the Prime Minister’s vision of climate ac
tion that has been appreci
ated by the world leaders,” the SAPM said.
Malik Amin Aslam said: “We need to have vigorous implementa
tion mechanisms in place for the commitments we have done globally, and for the implementa
tion of policy frameworks that we have approved so f
ar.221; Some policies and strategic frameworks were launched before going to the COP26, he said, adding, “They are very inclusive while Pakistan’s National Determined Contribu
tion (NDC) to the COP26 was declared as one
of the best. We have asked for a $100 billion grant in a decade to reduce 50 percent of its carbon emissions.” The country has promised 15 percent reduc
tion in carbon emissions from its own resources, he added. Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed quoting Lord Aamer Sarfraz, said that the Conservative Member
of the House of Lords (UK) has seen Malik Amin Aslam “locked
up in a windowless room, the size of a prison cell, having back-to-back meetings all day long on behalf of his country. My government has told me that he has set a global example for other Ministers [participated in the COP26].
Lord Aamer Sarfraz has said that “For someone in Pakistan to create a controversy on the rare topic in which Pakistan is winning, is unforgivable. The UK posi
tion is very clear [that] Pakistan was a star performer at COP26. Malik Amin Aslam is extremely well regarded internationally. I visited the Pakistan pavilion myself, which was by far one
of the most active and effective pavilions at the summit. Pakistanis can be very proud
of the global climate leadership their country is taking.”