ISLAMABAD, Feb 27 (APP): Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman on Monday urged the Speaker National Assembly to make the federal ministers bound to attend the Lower House’s proceedings to reply to members’ queries pertaining to their ministries.
Responding to various queries made by members of the National Assembly, the federal minister expressed her resentment over the absence of many ministers during the session.
Sherry Rehman said the floor of the House was the best platform for the accountability of the treasury benches and Cabinet members. “We always take your questions with respect and it should be as it is the best to hold us accountable,” the Minister said.
She added that if the Ministers due to official or personal reasons were unable to attend the session then the Parliamentary Secretaries should be present to take up the questions related to their ministries.
In reply to the query of MNA Asiya Azeem, the Minister informed that the country was a signatory to 26 international treaties and has earned huge respect globally.
Answering another query, she said the provinces after 18th Amendment were fully autonomous whereas all policies at the federal level were introduced after making consultations with them.
Responding to Moulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali’s question, related to rising glacial melting and glacial lakes outburst floods, she said Pakistan hosted the largest number of glaciers outside the polar region and it’s melting had increased 300 times due to severe global warming impacts.
“No one can stop glaciers from melting or put a cover on it to control fast melting but it can be contained through a reduction in global warming, carbon emissions from transportation and industry,” she added
The Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme was running a very robust project intended to enhance community resilience and early warning infrastructure for timely evacuation and protection of humans, livestock and the communities, she added.
The Minister underlined that it had emerged as a global national security crisis.
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