Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said the operationlisation of the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) $30 billion unveiled by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was a good start in the right direction.

The funding should be utilised through multilateral organizations such as the World Bank to swiftly start the implementation process, he said during an interview with Sky News Arabia at the sidelines of COP28.

“Pakistan has always been advocating that the countries who have not contributed to the carbon emissions but remained one of the worst affected by the climate disaster must be compensated in terms of mitigation, climate adaptation and receiving climate finance to address all those challenges”, PM Kakar said.

Pakistan advocated for the LDF in COP27 to assist the developing countries in facing the climate challenges in terms of mitigation and risk reduction, he added.

The interim PM went on to add that Pakistan had been a proactive advocate for climate finance for developing countries that was fully acknowledged and accepted by the developed world in the United Nations’ 28th Conference of Parties (COP28).

PM Kakar said that the LDF was a testament that developed countries had morally accepted the argument that the world must support those countries that were not responsible for climate damage.

On Israeli aggression in Gaza, PM Kakar said Pakistan along with Saudi Arabia and other countries had been at the forefront on the platform of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) demanding immediate stopping of senseless violence and aggression against the Palestinians and the creation of a humanitarian corridor.

He said sustainable peace was only possible through a two-state solution to the Palestine issue according to the pre-1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital.

On illegal refugees’ repatriation, PM Kakar said Pakistan was aware of its obligations to the refugees whom the country had hosted for the last 50 years.

“However, it was our national duty to rationalise and regulate the movement of more than a million undocumented and illegal aliens,” he added.

According to him, Pakistan desired peace and resolution of the Kashmir issue however these feelings must be reciprocated by the Indian authorities.

“It is an integral part of Pakistan and it needs to be resolved according to the UNSC resolutions,” he said.