Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that terrorism and extremism cannot be eradicated comprehensively unless people’s living conditions are improved.
In a message on the World Humanitarian Day, the PM said that the world cannot enjoy enduring peace if some parts of it are afflicted with famine, poverty and natural calamities. He called for collaborative efforts and complementary approaches “by taking a leaf from the book of the aid workers and volunteers”.
He said that the celebration of World Humanitarian Day on August 19 represents the acknowledgement and appreciation of valuable contributions of aid workers around the globe through their dedicated and selfless services.
He said that the essential message of the holy month of Ramadan is to work for the well-being and uplift of the downtrodden sections of society and share their grief and sorrows and spread happiness and hope. “Let us, on this day, vow to make our contributions in this regard and make this world a better place to live for our posterity,” he said.
“We are living in a highly complex world, which is beset by a variety of challenges and conflicts. A mix of armed conflicts, natural calamities, impending food crisis, world financial, and energy crises has made people further vulnerable to a dangerous extent,” he added.
Gilani said from Asia to Africa, the humanity’s condition would have been far worse, had people belonging to different parts of the world not come out to support them in times of great hardships. He added that indiscriminate and excellent work of aid workers and volunteers has reinforced the faith in the bright future of humanity.
Many of them have come in harm’s way going to the extent of losing their lives in an attempt to better lives of humanity far away from the comforts of their homes, he said.
Gilani lauded the services of aid workers who came from all parts of the country and the world to rescue those trapped in the flood-waters in 2010 and those hit by the worst earthquake in 2005 in Pakistan. “Without their support, the gigantic task of coping with the challenge of rehabilitation would not have been possible,” he said.
