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New
York/Washington: After dithering for a week, Pakistan
today accepted India's offer of USD five million in aid for flood
relief in the country and appreciated its "very positive" gesture.
“I can share with you that the
Government of Pakistan has agreed to accept the Indian offer (of $ 5
million aid),” Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said
on the sidelines of the special session of the General Assembly on
Pakistan at the United Nations headquarters.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is in New York
to attend a special meeting of the United Nations on flood situation
in his country, stated this a day after the US said politics should
have no role in disaster response and expected Islamabad to accept
the Indian aid offer.
While pushing for more international aid for relief and
rehabilitation efforts, Pakistan has been dilly-dallying on
accepting the aid offered by India last Friday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to his Pakistani counterpart
Yousuf Raza Gilani yesterday and offered more assistance in handling
flood relief.
The United States had on Thursday asked Pakistan to accept $ 5
million in flood aid from India as politics should have no role in
disaster response.
The Foreign Minister asserted that Pakistan was not playing any
politics on aid offer from India.
“We are not playing politics. Let me acknowledge the fact that the
Minister for External Affairs, (S. M.) Krishna, called me in
Islamabad and he expressed sympathy, he condoled with me on the loss
of life, and offered assistance to Pakistan,” he told the NDTV in an
interview.
“I think this initiative of India is a
very welcome initiative and I’m looking forward to further
engagements with my counterpart to improve the environment, to build
confidence and to bridge the trust deficit between the two
countries,” the Pakistan Foreign Minister said.
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