The Pakistani Ambassador to Cambodia, Zaheeruddin Babar Thaheem, has commended the Cambodian Government for its remarkable achievements in environmental conservation, particularly in the fight against plastic pollution.
The Ambassador made these remarks on Tuesday during a courtesy visit on Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth.
Ambassador Thaheem lauded Cambodia’s leadership over the past year, highlighting the active involvement of the Cambodian people in reducing plastic waste–a global environmental challenge.
He emphasised that Cambodia’s efforts set a positive example in the region and beyond.
During their discussion, Ambassador Thaheem also touched on the devastating impacts of climate change in Pakistan. He noted that severe floods in 2022 had resulted in significant property damage and loss of life. In response to these challenges, Pakistan is seeking to enhance international cooperation, particularly with Cambodia, to address the shared threat of climate change.
Sophalleth shared Cambodia’s recent environmental strategies, specifically the country’s initiatives to reduce plastic usage. He highlighted the nationwide campaign, “Today I Do Not Use Plastic Bags,” which saw participation from over 8.5 million students, teachers, monks, workers, development partners, and institutions. This collective effort has led to cleaner schools, pagodas, villages, communities, and cities, fostering a sense of pride across Cambodia.
Sophalleth also discussed the “Clean Cambodia, Khmer Can Do!” campaign, which aims to eliminate plastic waste at the local level. By 2025, Cambodia is targeting the complete eradication of plastic bag litter. Following the success of these cleanup efforts, the ministry plans to enhance greenery by planting more trees across the country.
Last year alone, the Ministry of Environment distributed more than 1.3 million trees to citizens as part of the national strategy to expand forest cover to over 60% by 2050. The minister noted that increasing Cambodia’s greenery not only contributes to environmental health but also boosts tourism, opens opportunities for green investments, and secures green financing for local and social development.
The diplomatic relationship between the two Asian countries was established in 1952, just five years after the founding of the Dominion of Pakistan and one year before Cambodia gained its independence from the French. Pakistan was also among the first nations to recognise Cambodia as a sovereign state.
Despite over 70 years of diplomatic ties, however, the cooperation and trade between the two countries have been relatively limited.
During a past exclusive interview with Khmer Times, Ambassador Thaheem noted that the setting up of a Cambodian Embassy in Islamabad would be a game changer in taking relations to a new high.
“With such a long history of diplomatic ties, however, our bilateral relationship–as far as having mechanisms to collaborate–hasn’t quite been fulfilled yet,” he said. “We have been trying to do people to people, government to government, and business to business.”
He claimed that the problem is the lack of supporting mechanisms that allow governments and business communities to interact frequently.
“From what we can see, one sector that dominates the number is the raw material for textiles,” Thaheem said. “As we know, Cambodia is a big exporter of finished garments to many parts of the world. We can provide all the material for that. I think we need supporting mechanisms to enhance that potential and reach other industries.”
“The pharmaceutical industry is the one we keep our eyes on. If you go to buy medicine today, you can see that many medicines are made in Pakistan. I believe we could provide some assistance in that sector as well. Halal meat is another sector that we can work on in Cambodia.”
