President condemns hurtful comments of India’s BJP leaders

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi Sunday condemned in the strongest possible words the hurtful comments of India’s BJP leaders about the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and said that these derogatory and controversial remarks had hurt the feelings of all Muslims around the world.

This, he said, was the reflection of the growing trend of Islamophobia in India where Muslims lived in millions

The President said that merely suspending and expelling party officials was not enough but BJP must shun and denounce its extremist and fascist Hindutva ideology.

He said that India under Modi’s hateful Hindutva philosophy was trampling religious freedoms of all its minorities and persecuting them without any impunity.

“Allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment constitutes grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalization which will create a cycle of violence and hate,” he added.

He called upon the world community, United Nations and international human rights organizations to take a serious notice of rising Islamophobia and systematic religious persecution in India without impunity and take all steps necessary to put an end to it. President Dr Arif Alvi Sunday said that the adverse impacts of climate change needed to be reversed by adopting sustainable consumption practices, protecting natural water resources, ensuring fertile soil and taking collective transformative action on a global scale by developing partnerships with all concerned authorities to save our planet Earth.

The president expressed these views while offering his greetings to all Pakistanis and environment-loving people around the world on the occasion of World Environment Day.

The 2022 World Environment Day campaign ‘#OnlyOneEarth’ calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore the planet Earth.

The president said that Pakistan was among the worst-hit countries in terms of climate change due to fast melting glaciers, unpredictable rain patterns, dry spells and drying up of our water sources which posed serious challenges to the government and to the people of Pakistan.

Highlighting the need for environment-friendly practices, he said that it was achievable by educating our youth about dealing with this challenge and adapting the methods of the green environment today for a better future.

“I am proud to state that in Pakistan our Presidency is world’s first in becoming ISO certified green, energy-efficient Presidency. With our 1MW solar power project, we not only cater to our power needs to zero net billing but also contribute to national grid”, he said

He also invited all the institutions to learn from the Green Presidency Initiative and save energy so as to serve the public in an effective manner.

The president further regretted that Pakistan’s forests, biodiversity and wildlife resources had suffered from the adverse effects of climate change, change of land use, and habitat destruction due to population increase.

He urged the need to make continuous efforts through a number of initiatives under long-term planning and programmes to deal with the challenge of climate change.

“Existing meager forest resources are crucial to environmental stability and needed serious interventions to improve and enhance the overall forestry, wildlife and biodiversity sectors”, he said.

The president noted that the United Nations’ World Environment Day (WED) was dedicated to focusing attention and taking positive action on issues related to the environment.

“This year’s theme is meant to encourage people around the world to think about their connection to nature—including food and agriculture”, he added.

He said that a healthy environment played a key role in meeting many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

“With 8 years left to meet the target date of 2030, the world will need to pick up the pace and put greater efforts in finding better solutions to pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss in order to truly transform societies and economies”, he emphasized.