“UNDP funds allocated for disaster prone communities spent on foreign trip”, reveals Rauf Klasra

GILGIT: Funds allocated for disaster prone, impoverished, and highly vulnerable communities under the Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF-II) project, funded by UNDP, were used to sponsor a luxury foreign trip of 16 people, including Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change, Zartaj Gul Wazir, State Minister for Climate Change, and several federal government officials. Family members of the federal minister, including his wife and children, were reportedly also traveled with the delegation.

These details were revealed by Rauf Klasra, a renowned journalist, on his Youtube channel.

Mr. Klasra has said that Malik Amin Aslam, the federal minister in question, has confirmed using GLOF-II project funds for expenses related to air tickets, hotel expenditures, TADA, and other allowances of the 16 individuals in Glasgow, where the 14-days long COP26 conference was held recently.

The federal minister has responded to the allegation on Twitter by saying that the delegation comprised of 8 people, not 16 as reported by Klasra, and that no relatives of any delegation member traveled on government or donor funds. He has said that the expenses were paid from the ““Foreign Travel” head of the project budget.

Rauf Klasra has urged the minister to share documentary evidence to clarify who paid for his family members.

It is pertinent to not that Glacial-Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are major hazard faced by remote and vulnerable communities in Gilgit-Baltistan and mountainous parts of KP province. UNDP has been providing funds to the federal government to help the communities by training and equipping them to prepare for respond to the disasters effectively.