Pakistan on Thursday declined India’s offer to send $5 million in aid to Pakistani flood victims, saying it “appreciated India’s gesture, but can’t take aid now”.
This was hours after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani to reiterate the offer of $5 million made last week and offer more assistance to tackle Pakistan’s worst floods in 80 years.
Dr Singh said at the time of such natural disasters, all of South Asia should rise to the occasion and extend every possible help to the affected people. Dr Singh called Mr Gilani “to express his sense of sorrow and to condole the deaths resulting from the huge floods that have devastated parts of Pakistan. The Government of India ... is ready to do more to assist in the relief effort.”
The United States, meanwhile, said it “expected” Pakistan to accept Indian assistance, saying politics should have no place. “In terms of responding to a disaster, politics should play no role. You have a country (India) that’s willing to help (Pakistan), and... we expect Pakistan will accept,” US state department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in Washington.
In Islamabad, Pakistan foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said: “We thank India for the offer. This is a very positive gesture.” His remarks might indicate that Pakistan could at a later stage accept Indian aid but wanted to avoid it if other donors gave more.