Acting President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, met with Ms Coco Ushiyama, the Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Pakistan here at President House on Monday and discussed matters related to climate change.
Welcoming Ms Ushiyama, the Acting President expressed pleasure on receiving such an honourable and dedicated humanitarian leader, especially at a crucial time when Pakistan is grappling with the devastating consequences of floods and the looming threat of malnutrition among vulnerable communities.
He expressed confidence that her extensive expertise in humanitarian response and strategic management would greatly benefit the people of Pakistan. He highlighted the role of parliamentary diplomacy in fostering partnerships to address shared global challenges and achieve national development goals.
The Acting President drew attention to Pakistan’s acute vulnerabilities to climate change, noting that recent catastrophic floods have left millions homeless, hungry, and exposed to disease.
He pointed out that the destruction of crops, loss of livestock, and rising poverty, especially in South Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, require urgent and sustained international support.
He called for real-time assistance from global humanitarian organizations to ensure immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation of the affected communities.
Emphasizing the importance of strengthening collaboration between WFP and Parliament, the Acting President noted that joint coordination could help ensure well-informed decisions and targeted interventions for the most vulnerable groups at the grassroots level. He also underscored the importance of WFP programmes in Pakistan, including the Nashonuma initiative and the school nutrition programme, and stressed the need to expand these interventions, particularly in flood-hit areas.
Looking towards the future, the Acting President urged for broadening the scope of climate resilience projects, such as the Integrated Climate Risk Management programme supported by the WFP and Green Climate Fund, to cover flood-prone regions of southern Punjab. Such projects, he noted, would improve early warning systems, strengthen resilience, and mitigate the risks faced by vulnerable communities.
He expressed trust in WFP’s ability, in coordination with the Government of Pakistan and local representatives, to contribute to improved livelihoods, reduced hunger, and enhanced resilience of the people. He suggested establishing direct channels of communication between WFP and the Parliament to enable accurate needs assessment and ensure targeted interventions.
The Acting President reiterated Pakistan’s grave challenges due to climate-induced disasters, which have worsened food insecurity and increased the burden of disease. He appreciated WFP’s unwavering support in Pakistan’s fight against hunger and malnutrition and called for greater momentum in relief and rehabilitation efforts.
The World Food Program Country Director informed that the organisation is excited to work closely with Benazir Income Support programme to address the issue of stunting and work on the problem of malnutrition in children. She thanked the Acting President for his support.
She informed the Acting President about the emerging situation in the flood hit areas particularly the South Punjab. She also expressed her keen interest to work in close collaboration with Senate standing committees on health and national food security.
Acting President observed that people in the flood height areas need mosquito nets, blankets, quilts and other necessary items of daily use. He thanked the WFP for making all out efforts to provide relief to the people in the flood hit areas especially South Punjab and other parts of the country.
Separately, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani vowed that Pakistan and Uzbekistan would continue active cooperation in all sectors during an important meeting held with Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, Nuriddin Muydinkhonovich Ismoilov at the Presidency.
The meeting discussed in detail the promotion of bilateral relations, regional ties, economic cooperation and parliamentary ties, a Presidency’s news release said.
Speaking on the occasion, the acting president underlined that the relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan were based on historical, cultural and religious foundations.
During the meeting, both the dignitaries termed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent successful visit to Tashkent as the beginning of a new era in the relations between the two countries. During the Tashkent visit, 10 MoUs and agreements were signed and an agreement was reached to establish a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
Gillani added that a roadmap was signed between the two countries in June 2025 on the occasion of the 51st meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers. He also reiterated his commitment to invite Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to visit Islamabad soon.
The meeting welcomed the holding of bilateral political consultations and meetings of mechanisms such as the Joint Ministerial Commission and resumption of direct flights between Lahore and Tashkent and commencement of weekly flights between Islamabad and Tashkent.
“Parliamentary cooperation is an important pillar of bilateral relations. Parliamentary friendship groups are already established in Pakistan and Uzbekistan, which are effective platforms for enhancing cooperation. I had fruitful meetings with the top leadership during my visit to Uzbekistan in April 2025,” Acting President, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said.
He added that the exchanges of parliamentary delegations and joint meetings would promote better understanding and relations between the two parliaments. Moreover, bilateral trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan had increased from $27 million to $111 million, Gilani said.
The acting president added that both countries aimed to increase bilateral trade to $2 billion in the next four years. However, Trans-Afghan Railway Project would be an important means of connecting Pakistan and Uzbekistan via Afghanistan, he added.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani underlined that the successful completion of the railway project would usher in a new era of regional connectivity, trade and prosperity. “Pakistan is committed to promoting peace and prosperity in the region through parliamentary ties, economic cooperation and regional projects,” the acting president said.