By Amjad Qaimkhani
NEW YORK: Pakistan has highlighted its commitment to developing resilient, inclusive and sustainable cities at the United Nations, stressing the need for climate-focused urban planning and greater investment in youth development.
Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program (PMYP) Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan presented Pakistan’s position during the High-Level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda at the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday.
He described the review as an important opportunity for the international community to evaluate progress and renew efforts towards implementing the New Urban Agenda at a time when rapid urbanization is creating growing challenges related to housing, transport, public safety and environmental protection.
Rana Mashhood said Pakistan was taking practical steps to address the pressures caused by expanding cities. Referring to the devastating urban and riverine floods of 2025, which claimed more than 1,000 lives, he said the country was working with UN-Habitat to develop a National Urban Strategy that would integrate climate resilience into future urban planning.
He said Pakistan’s post-flood reconstruction program had already rebuilt more than 400,000 homes for displaced families. He added that improved planning standards and climate resilience remained central to the country’s broader housing initiatives. The PMYP chairman also highlighted government efforts to expand affordable and low-emission public transport systems. He said social protection programs, including the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), had been strengthened and were now reaching more than nine million families across the country.
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