UN ramps-up relief work in Pakistan’s flood-hit areas amid spreading diseases: Spokesperson
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 27 (APP): The United Nations and its partners are scaling up relief operations in Pakistan’s flood-affected regions, as vector-borne and water-borne diseases spread in the underwater areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces, a UN Spokesperson said Tuesday.
Responding to a question at his regular noon briefing, Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric also said that the outbreak of those infectious diseases was a matter of “growing concern.”
The floods, he said, have also damaged nearly 1,500 health facilities across the country, including more than 300 refrigerators and solar power systems, which is disrupting vaccine cold chains.
Assessments are continuing, but an estimated 7.9 million people remain displaced by the catastrophic floods, the spokesman said. Nearly 600,000 people are living in relief camps, and more than 7,000 schools across the country are being used as temporary relief camps.
More than two million houses have been damaged by the heavy rains and floods, he said, adding that over 25,000 schools and 13,000 km of roads have also reportedly been damaged.
“We and our humanitarian partners continue to scale up our response and have reached more than 1.6 million people directly affected by the floods,” the spokesperson told reporters in New York.
The deadly climate-induced floods killed more than 1,500 people, and displaced 30 million.
Developing countries must be provided sufficient means to face climate change impacts: Bilawal
WASHINGTON DC, Sep 27 (APP): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday highlighting the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan said the developing countries must be provided with sufficient means to adequately face the impact of climate change.
The foreign minister, during his talk at Wilson Center here, said the global problems could only be addressed through global solutions.
“Pakistan is facing an apocalyptic crisis in the shape of devastating floods”, he said and highlighted that catastrophic floods in Pakistan were proof that global warming was an existential threat facing the world today.
He told the gathering that Pakistan contributed less than 1% to the global greenhouse gas emissions “yet we are one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.
“Pakistan is seeking climate justice. We are a resilient nation and will rebuild better, greener using climate resilient infrastructure with the cooperation of our friends in the international community,” he remarked.
Bilawal Bhutto said that the devastating floods made Pakistan an apt case to become a model for such collective efforts.
He said the government’s priority was to focus on ensuring economic and food security and seeking mutually beneficial trade and investment ties around the globe.
He said Pakistan valued its long-standing relations with the United States. Both sides were focused on strengthening a broad based relationship on the principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit that was not viewed through the prism of any other country or relationship.
The foreign minister said that strengthening business, trade and investment ties and expanding cooperation in climate change, energy , agriculture, IT/tech and education was a top priority.
He stressed that peace and stability in Pakistan’s neighborhood was an essential pre-requisite for economic prosperity and social sector development not just for Pakistan but also the wider region.
In this context, he underscored Pakistan’s desire to work closely with the international community to pursue peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He invited the attention of the audience to the rising wave of Hindutva-inspired anti-Muslim extremism in India which should be a matter of deep concern for the entire international community including the US.
He also shared the concerns of the government and the people of Pakistan on the deteriorating human rights situation in IIOJK including attempts by the BJP government to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory.
Foreign Minister Bilawal said that Pakistan wanted to resolve all outstanding issues with India through dialogue but onus was on India to create a conducive environment by reversing its illegal actions of August 5 2019 in IIOJK and stopping its oppression of Kashmiri people.
FBR enable refund adjustment tab in return forms
ISLAMABAD, Sep 27 (APP): Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has enabled refund adjustment tab in the return forms for facilitation of taxpayers while filing Tax Returns for the Year, 2022.
Federal Board of Revenue has received a number of representations from various Tax bars, businesses and other stakeholders on the issue of non-availability of refund adjustment tab in the return forms available in the Iris, an online portal of FBR for return filing.
In order to ensure smooth filing of returns and to improve ease of doing business and decrease cost of compliance of taxpayers, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has enabled refund adjustment tab in the return forms,said a press release issued here on Tuesday.
This facility will enable taxpayers to adjust their pending refund claims against admitted liability of TY 2022 at the time of filing of tax returns who had filed applications to claim their outstanding refunds of previous years.
In this regard it is informed that refunds applications filed up to 27.09.2022 are eligible for adjustment of refunds.
This facility is available to all taxpayers who have not claimed excess adjustment against previous years’ refunds.
