ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said the plight of the Gazans was a “mockery” of the international community and in stark contrast to the idea of global unity and justice days after Israeli forces killed another 18 people in strikes on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza.
The Pakistan prime minister said this while addressing the first virtual session of the Summit of the Future at the United Nations (UN) in New York, where he spoke about the ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza.
The statement came after an Israeli attack flattened part of the UN-run Al-Jawni school in Nuseirat on Wednesday. UNRWA said six of its staff were killed in two Israeli strikes on the school, drawing global condemnation.
“Today, in times of unprecedented global challenges and escalating conflicts, we are at risk of permanently damaging the notion of we,” PM Sharif said in his virtual address. “A collective we that requires a degree of justice. The plight of the people of Gaza is a mockery of this we.”
Israel launched a war on Gaza on Oct. 7 after Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israeli military campaign has since demolished swathes of the besieged enclave, killed more than 40,500 people, displaced nearly all of its 2.3 million people multiple times, and given rise to deadly hunger and disease.
Pakistan does not recognize the state of Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, the South Asian country has repeatedly raised the issue at the UN and demanded international powers and multilateral bodies stop Israeli military actions. Pakistan has also dispatched several aid consignments for the Palestinians.
Speaking further, Sharif warned the prevailing global issues could undermine the sense of unity between countries, saying the world was facing significant problems that were straining international relations and cooperation. 
“This we becomes marred amidst rising debt burdens for the poor, increasing poverty, growing inequality, intolerance, terrorist violence, illegal foreign occupation and a skewed approach to climate adaptation,” he added.
He called for significant reforms in the international financial framework to achieve sustainable developmental goals for economically weak nations. This required enhanced concessional financing, increased official development assistance, and greater lending from multilateral development banks, he added.

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday approved a $320 million loan to help rehabilitate roads in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and enhance “safe and all-weather connectivity” in rural areas. 
Annual rainfall and temperature patterns have significantly increased in parts of the province, and the lack of resilient infrastructure has escalated the impact of disasters on people and livelihoods. Flooding events since 2010 have substantially damaged the road network, hampering connectivity and escalating transportation costs.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Roads Development Project will upgrade around 900 kilometers of rural roads in the province that are susceptible to floods and are in poor condition. These cover key routes that link remote communities to education, health care, and markets. The project includes measures to incorporate climate-resilient design, road safety enhancement, and sustainable maintenance practices.
“This vital infrastructure project will reduce travel time, lower transportation costs, and increase access to economic opportunities for millions of residents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov said in a statement. 
“By providing better access to markets and services, we are empowering local communities and driving inclusive economic growth in one of Pakistan’s most underserved regions.”
The project will offer technical and financial support to assist the provincial government in preparing “long-term targeted interventions” that will enhance the climate resilience and sustainability of the province’s road network. 
“ADB will help the government conduct a comprehensive study on flood susceptibility, with a focus on landslide vulnerability across the province, to identify priority roads,” ADB Senior Transport Specialist Seunghyun Kim said. 
“We will support the government in preparing concessional contracts for the operation and maintenance of two tourism roads, which will contribute to the sustainability of the road network.”
Roads dominate Pakistan’s transport system, with almost 96 percent of freight traffic and 92 percent of passenger traffic passing through the road networks. Provincial roads, like those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, connect district centers with the national highway network and are vital in facilitating trade as well as providing access to health, education, and other public services.
Pakistan was a founding member of the ADB. Since 1966, the bank has committed over $52 billion in public and private sector loans, grants, and other forms of financing “to promote inclusive economic growth” in Pakistan and improve the country’s infrastructure, energy and food security, transport networks, and social services.