Pak yet to decide on India`s aid for flood-relief

Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Aug 14 (PTI) Pakistan is yet to decide on
the Indian government's offer of USD 5 million as aid for
providing relief to victims of the country's worst floods,
with diplomatic sources saying that the proposal is being
considered by the Foreign Office.
The offer of aid was conveyed by India's External
Affairs Minister S M Krishna to his Pakistani counterpart Shah
Mahmood Qureshi during a telephone conversation Friday.
Krishna described the aid as a "gesture of solidarity
with the people of Pakistan in their hour of need", an
official statement issued by the Indian High Commission said.
However, a statement issued by Pakistan's Foreign
Office Friday evening made no mention of the aid offered by
Krishna.
The statement only mentioned that Krishna had
telephoned Qureshi and "conveyed deep sympathies on behalf of
the government and the people of India on the devastation
caused by floods in Pakistan".
Diplomatic sources told PTI that the Foreign Office
had not rejected India's offer of aid outright and the
proposal was being considered.
A decision is yet to be made on whether to accept the
aid, they said.
The statement issued by Pakistan's Foreign Office also
said Qureshi thanked Krishna for the telephone call and
conveyed appreciation for the concerns over the floods in
Pakistan.
Qureshi also conveyed appreciation for the messages of
condolence from India on the tragic plane crash in the
Margalla Hills that killed 152 people on July 28.
Krishna also conveyed greetings on the occasion of
Pakistan's Independence Day and Qureshi reciprocated
the same for I-Day celebrated by India on August 15.
The unprecedented floods in Pakistan have killed
nearly 1,700 people and affected over 14 million. PTI