After dithering for a week, Pakistan today accepted India’s offer of $5 million in aid for flood relief in the country and appreciated its “very positive” gesture.
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, said 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 the flood situation.
“I can share with you that the Government of Pakistan has agreed to accept the Indian offer (of $5 million) in aid,” Qureshi said in New York.
“We are not playing politics. Let me acknowledge the fact that External Affairs Minister (S M) Krishna called me in Islamabad and he expressed sympathy, he condoled on the loss of life, and offered assistance to Pakistan,” he said.