First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari on Saturday met Indonesia Vice Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and Indonesia, with a particular focus on women’s empowerment, climate resilience, social welfare, sustainable development and people-to-people ties.
The first lady conveyed heartfelt condolences over the loss of lives and damage caused by recent landslides and floods in Sumatra. She expressed sympathy with the affected families and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.
Welcoming the Indonesian vice minister to Pakistan, she said her visit reflected the warmth, trust and depth of longstanding relations between Pakistan and Indonesia. She also noted the vice minister’s ancestral links to Pakistan and said this personal connection added a meaningful and symbolic dimension to bilateral engagement.
Recalling the unprecedented floods that struck Sindh in 2022, Aseefa shared that under the leadership and vision of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Sindh government had since constructed over two million flood-resistant and climate-resilient homes, setting a world record in post-disaster recovery and adaptation.
She underscored that the land titles of these homes had been transferred in the names of women heads of households, a landmark step aimed at deepening women empowerment, economic security and social dignity in Sindh.
The first lady also highlighted Sindh’s successful public-private partnership model, through which the provincial government had delivered sustainable and scalable projects in health care, education, renewable energy and infrastructure development, noting that this model had strengthened service delivery while ensuring long-term fiscal and environmental sustainability.
On regional and global issues, she praised the principled and consistent stance of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on the Gaza crisis, particularly Indonesia’s support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and a two-state solution.
She reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting Gaza’s reconstruction and the establishment of a free and independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital, stressing that the scale of human suffering demanded sustained international engagement, protection of civilians and unhindered humanitarian access.
Highlighting climate change as a shared global challenge, Aseefa emphasised that vulnerable communities were increasingly exposed to extreme weather events. She stressed the importance of climate-resilient and climate-friendly housing solutions, particularly for low-income populations, as a critical tool for disaster preparedness, recovery and long-term sustainability.
Expressing appreciation for Indonesia’s progress, the first lady said she was encouraged to see women in senior leadership roles and looked forward to closer collaboration with Indonesia to exchange best practices and undertake joint initiatives promoting gender equality and inclusive development.
The Indonesian vice minister expressed deep interest in learning from Sindh’s experience in large-scale climate-resilient housing and welcomed the opportunity to explore structured cooperation in this area. She also conveyed Indonesia’s interest in expanding collaboration in palm oil plantation, edible oil production and investment, including potential partnerships aimed at enhancing food security and value-chain development.
The meeting also reviewed recent high-level exchanges between the two countries. The first lady welcomed President Subianto’s recent visit to Pakistan and appreciated Indonesia’s social welfare initiatives, including programmes focused on nutrition for women and children. She noted that Pakistan was pursuing similar objectives through flagship initiatives such as the Benazir Income Support Programme.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening Pakistan-Indonesia relations through sustained dialogue, mutual understanding and practical cooperation across areas of shared interest.
