Gilani asks UN to reconsider decision to reduce 40 percent staff in Pakistan
December 18th, 2009 - 6:49 pm ICT by ANI
Islamabad, Dec 18(ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has asked the United Nations (UN) to reconsider its decision to trim down its staff in Pakistan.
Gilani said this while holding talks with the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Humanitarian Assistance and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on Friends of Democratic Pakistan, Jean-Maurice Ripert, who had called on the Prime Minister, The Dawn reported.
Gilani said that the Pakistan Government was taking all possible measures to ensure safety of the UN premises and personnel in the country.
Meanwhile, Ripert said that the UN’s decision to reduce its staff in Pakistan was a temporary measure and that the UN will not leave Pakistan alone at this critical juncture.
He also assured that the Pakistani nationals working in the UN offices will not be laid off and the relocated staff will return to Pakistan as soon as the situation improves.
The UN plans to reduce about 40 percent of its staff in Pakistan by realigning their deployment due to growing security concerns in the wake of a wave of terrorist attacks across the country.
According to reports, the reduction of staff will be done in two phases. In the first phase, all international staff members working on long and short-term projects in sensitive areas will be relocated to projects in safer locations. And, in the second phase, international staff members who cannot be relocated will leave Pakistan. (ANI)
- UN envoy to discuss relief for Pakistan's flood victims - Aug 05, 2010
- Pak says Cameron's 'terror sponsorship' remarks hampering flood aid efforts - Aug 12, 2010
- UN chief appeals for aid as flood crisis worsens in Pak - Aug 15, 2010
- Give funds to fight insurgents, Pakistan tells UN - Jan 22, 2010
- Pak floods 'greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history': UN - Aug 10, 2010
- Pak needs 'billions of dollars' to recover from flood disaster: UN - Aug 09, 2010
- Militants can exploit Pak flood-affected people's misery, warns UN envoy - Aug 12, 2010
- UN appoints first Special Envoy for humanitarian affairs for Pakistan - Aug 25, 2009
- French diplomat to oversee UN aid work in Pakistan - Aug 25, 2009
- Pakistan wants early warning system for disasters - Oct 07, 2011
- UN says Pak floods worse than Asian tsunami, Haiti quake - Aug 09, 2010
- Pakistan's new cabinet to be sworn in Friday - Feb 11, 2011
- Pakistan seeks UN help for early weather warning system - Oct 06, 2011
- UN to move some staff out of Pakistan - Jan 01, 2010
- Imran backs flood relief efforts by 'terror outfits' in garb of Pak Islamic charities - Aug 23, 2010
Tags: critical juncture, dawn, deployment, humanitarian assistance, international staff members, pakistan government, pakistan islamabad, pakistani nationals, premises, prime minister, raza, ripert, second phase, security concerns, sensitive areas, term projects, terrorist attacks, un secretary general, united nations, yousuf
