The consignment – comprising 12 truckloads of relief items – was returned from the Line of Control (LoC) that divides the disputed Himalayan state near Chakothi.
The relief goods were sent by the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a sister organisation of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) – the charity India blames for the 2008 deadly siege at Mumbai’s landmarks.
Before flagging off the trucks, JuD’s Azad Kashmir chapter Ameer Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi said that they were peaceful people and wanted to help the flood-affected people in Srinagar, the winter capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, whether they were Muslims, Hindus or Sikhs.
He accused India of carrying out ‘selective relief and rescue operation’ during this monsoon’s flooding in Kashmir Valley. “We believe in serving the humanity irrespective of cast, colour or creed. The FIF had provided relief to more than 2,000 Hindu families during the recent drought in Tharpakar district of Sindh,” he added.
On the occasion, former two-time prime minister of AJK and President of All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan said that both Pakistan and India should open the LoC to ensure swift transportation of relief goods to the flood-hit people of Kashmir Valley where streets are littered with muck, slush and stagnant water.
“We appeal to the international community to convert the LoC into a LoR [Line of Relief] as the people in Srinagar need help to rebuild their houses and businesses,” Khan added. He called upon Islamabad and New Delhi to set aside their political differences and share the pain and agony of the Kashmiris who have lost everything to the floods.
Vice Chairman of the International Forum for Justice and Human Rights Mushtaqul Islam said that it was high time international human rights bodies came forward and helped the flood-affected people of Srinagar. “It’s unfortunate that the Indian government is not allowing foreigners to help the flood victims of Srinagar,” he added.
Meanwhile, an AFP report said that Pakistani authorities stopped the activists in the town of Chakothi near the LoC.
“We stopped them because we did not have any instruction by the ministry of foreign affairs or the government,” senior administration official in Chakothi Tehzeebun Nisa told AFP. “Around 300 people wanted to take relief goods to the LoC for supply to the Indian part. It’s a matter between two countries, so we stopped them,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2014.
COMMENTS (56)
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@Azad Jammu and Kashmir.:
If india has so many soldiers in kashmir why dont you send your army and vacat the kashmir ???? One of the Pakistan Air Force personal said india will never attack pakistan because they are not interested to take the pakistan problem in their hand.
@GL: Even China (GDP $ 8.5 trillion) receives "Aid" from UK (GDP $ 2.5 trillion) of UKP 30 Million every year & gives it too, and so what? Do you think some of this "Aid" is like Eidi that giver tells the receiver here is cash, go enjoy, no questions asked!? There are always conditions & though spirit is one of being helpful to each other, its transactional nature too is important. Except what is provided in humanitarian relief during colossal natural calamities like flood, all "Aid" benefit the donor country too. At times it's a form of hidden subsidy for the industry of donor country or a form of payment for some other favour. So, this time when you pick up the next tranche from a donor to Pakistan be genuinely thankful but not obligated to excessively ingratiate yourself..
@Rakib: This is very true but Pakistani's for get this and try to play victim. A time is coming and it is very fast approaching that Pakistan will have to face it's misdeeds as well as Muslims around the world. All this playing victim all the while being people who have oppressed others, occupied other peoples lands and done so much harm, it will not be forgotten. I do not care if this comment is not published but the truth will remain the truth.
@ABC: @Indian: Your PM is the butcher and terrorest ,who kill 5,000 people.jt is so shame for you indian the summon was issued from NY court.Shame on you and all indian,s.
Totally understand why India would refuse aid from Pakistan.
But some comments by Indian trolls are hilarious. India has been receiving an AID of average 350 million dollars annually, just from England. Aid from other sources is on top of that. Half of its population does not have access to toilets, yet India provides "Aid" to Afghanistan. Just saying.
Newsflash ..... RSS and Shiv sena wants to do aid and relief work in Balochistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. But the government of Pakistan is not allowing such a genuine and human offer because it wants to "selectively" help only the Sindhis and Punjabis of POK. We should lodge complain in UN to force Pakistan to accept our humanitarian aid.
@Yousuf: sorry mr. read history properly..kashmir was, is and will be part of India(which is nothing but a consolidation of all the princely states etc after independence). only because you guys are in majority doesn't make it to be independent. come whatever we will not allow kashmir to be taken away from us
The world's largest population of beggars lives in India, not Pakistan. Who's the beggar nation now?
@Vectra:
Please learn some grammar. Only choosing an English name doesn't guarantee good English
Check this news in the brotherly Saudi News for the truth. http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20141006220366
Pakistan bars relief goods to flood-hit Indian Kashmir. (Saudi Gazette)
@Ishan: India houses 20.6% of the world's poorest while it accounts for 17.5% of the world's population.(World Bank 2013) That didnt stop the beggars in New Delhi from funding terrorism in Baluchistan and Northern and Eastern Afghanistan. Why are the beggars "donating" ?
@Sach Bhol: Baluchistan is a part of Pakistan, the world, including India accepts it as that. Kashmir is occupied by India. Take those 800,000 soldiers out, see what happens, the "integral" part of India will go to Pakistan in seconds. Also, there are more "poor, miserable and persecuted" people in India, but the state of India still offers its "help" to Baluch insurgents. You spread terrorism in our country we will reciprocate in similar fashion. The same state of India funnels billions in Northern and Eastern Afghanistan while it houses 20.6% of the world's poorest (World Bank 2013). Why? The poor and miserable donate?
@Hassan: A country which cannot make its budget without aid, wants to help. Go and help the Biharis in Bangladesh who are in camps there.
Sorry, but we don't need aid from beggars. Better send them to the IDPs and the baluchs.
@Hassan: I think people like you believe that Muslims of Kashmir are more Muslims than.those of Multan, Punjab, PoK, etc. How come you guys are so worried about Indian Kashmiri's than your own people? Your own government is holding a begging bowl in hand to get some aid for flood victims and you have an audacity to call Indians begger. Seems like load shedding and dharnas have affected the minds of Pakistanis a lot.
@usman786:
"i think Pakistan is following Indians, which gets money from UNICEF/UN, USA, Russia despite having billion dollars"
Not really. India takes loans from these organizations for specific development projects and pays them back with interest. India never begs for free funds to take care of its citizen during emergencies and natural catastrophes.
Pakistan, on the other hand, begs foreign donors for free dole-outs (not loans to be paid back) at every opportunity, especially using natural calamities.
The headline should have been "India refuses aid from a foreign terrorist group" but we are talking about Pakistan media here...
It's normal for countries, especially neighbours, to offer help during natural calamities. It should be done at the level of central governments of the countries involved, not at the level of some controversial bodies. Also, govts tend to look at precedence. During Kashmir earthquake it was Pak-side that was affected the most. It was difficult to move heavy equipment to remove debris or save those trapped underneath. India did offer help of equipment, men & material across from Indian side of LoC but as I recall it was declined.
It is a pity that Pakistani authorities turned back the aid of JUD at Chakoti. We still remember the the charity JUD gave in Mumbai.
foreigners to help ...very true and ten of them came to Mumbai in 2008 to help and was widely shown on TV/s to the world.Do you blame India for this"help"
Better spend that money for strengthening democracy in Pakistan and fighting fundamentalists.
India will happily accept this material, If Mr. Hafiz Saeed himself come with it for distributing this aid. Only thing is India can't take guarantee for safety.
And in a related news published in this newspaper about AJK. There is limit to shedding crocodile tears
http://tribune.com.pk/story/769349/one-year-on-suspension-of-funds-hampers-ajk-uplift/
Hasn't anyone told India that beggars can't be choosers? Please take all aid you can get from Pakistan, and help poor Kashmiri people. Indian relief operation in IOK is in shambles anyways!
Pakistani PM has admitted that relief measures are insufficient in Punjab, Sindh and AJK... He is begging for internation aid... Therefore, it would have been better if this charity would have utilised in Pakistan first.. This way JuD would be able win the hearts of pakistanis itself... instead of playing politics... Also read the last two paras... the headline is misleading in itself....
@truthbetold: i think Pakistan is following Indians, which gets money from UNICEF/UN, USA, Russia despite having billion dollars
@Aalia: Israel is still far better than Pakistan! Address your own country's problems first, then worry about neighbors.
@Aalia: "India is becoming another Israel." Your statement will make India proud because in the West Israelis and Indians are far ahead. They are even superior than the whites as proved by this UK government report: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/feb/20/race.immigrationpolicy In contrast, we muslims have become a bunch of criminals where in the same region we have the highest crime report: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/dec/07/young-prisoners-muslim and http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn04334.pdf You may have noticed that the West has started a Cold war against the Muslims. I leave it to you to judge who will win.
No Festivity in indulged kashmir due to recent floods
And Pakistanis wonder why their country is hotbed of Terror. When you let Terrorists run around as "charities", what else can you expect?
LeT, later JuD, later something else, was the one who drove Kashmiris out of Kashmir(read Pandits) because they were Hindu. Now, they want to help all Kashmiris?
Pakistanis are fans of UN Resolutions(especially when it comes to Kashmir). But, JuD/LeT is a UN Blacklisted organization. Recently European Union and US placed sanctions on them.
This event shows they continue to operate in Pakistan as charities. Will Pakistan ever learn?
@Aalia.... its stilll better than Pakistan becoming another Somalia.
Funny a nation that runs itself on Aid and Alms send charatiy to a economic power house like India... Pakistan tere Kya hoga Kaliya ?
FAlah-I-Insaniyat is a part of Jamat-Ud-Dawa. How can India allow 300 JuD people in?
In any case on one hand Pakistan is begging for relief and rehabilitation from the world and on other hand these 30 JuD want to come o India undr pretext of aid. Really who can be so foolish?
India should reject all food items.... may cause polio outbreak in india...cash inflow should be welcome.
Do Indians care? Nope. Do we want anything from Pakistan? Nope. Does the world care about what Pakistan says? Nope. This can be witnessed when you saw your PM at the UN giving a speech to a near empty audience. As Indians we can take care of ourselves we do not need help from a 3rd world country. Thanks but no thanks. Bet this will not get published but it is expected.
India is becoming another Israel.
Please give this relief effort materialist to the victims in Pakistan - because I read an article recently stating the Earthquake victims in Pakistan region is not rehabilitated properly even after so many years, India have enough resource to look after it's people, because even after staying thousand of miles away from Kashmir and southern most tip of India my district Madurai has contributed around 4.5 crore Indian rupees by various NGOs, and have sent a train load of relief materials...!!
News item is confusing. Title says India refused aid from Pakistan. Last two paragraphs give me an impression that Pakistani authorities stopped aid workers/activists near LOC!!!
Maybe India should start helping people in Balouchistan and in other parts of Pakistan.
its indian occupied kashmire!
This is a joke. Pakistan is right now begging foreign countries for free aid to deal with the flood victims in Pakistan, including AJK, Gilgit and other areas of kashmir. There is no help and relief for these poor victims, but this terror outfit tries to play politics with the Indian situation.
Read:
Govt covets foreign aid despite having home resources
http://tribune.com.pk/story/771207/govt-covets-foreign-aid-despite-having-home-resources/
Being an Indian, I understand the furious stance of the Indian authorities. But what is the most saddening part of the Kashmir episode is the ego of our two great countries which has been crushing the emotions and sentiments of Kashmiri people. Kashmir doesn't belongs to India or Pakistan. Instead Kashmir belongs first to it's dwellers, i.e, the Kashmiri people - Muslims, Sikhs and Brahman. Let the people of Kashmir decide the fate of Kashmir.
Can jud take care of there own country send trucks to Baluchistan
first take care of polio.
Well while Mr. Dar is requesting the international help for IDPs and Flood affected, Pakistanis are sending help to India without any request. I wonder if priorities are set correctly in Pakistan.
Wonder why we have started providing relief to another country when pakistan's IDP are themselves suffering. Have we provided for all of Pakistan's poor? Have govt. of India asked for help? Dont understand the motive of this move?
If we feel India is not doing enough, open the diplomatic channel and then work, ad-hoc actions will lead us nowhere, we can make all hue and cry that India is not doing enough for muslims its their problem, besides I am not seeing this coverage (selective help) in any other media except Pakistan.
Arrogance truly turns a human into an animal. But I think Pakistan should have spent that on its own people before taking care of neighbor. This was all that was expected from our current leadership
So Pakistan is asking for aid for its own flood affected. Why doesn't Falah-i-Insaniayat help the people in and around Muzaffarabad?
Anyway what is the chance that India would allow trucks from a sister organization of Lashkar-e-Toiba? This attempt at Trojan horse would not have been allowed even by the lame UPA government.
People from all over India are contributing for Kashmir relief. We will take care of our own.
Terrorist organizations that kill millions of people worldwide irrespective of religion/nationality want to donate goods???? Please stop dramas before someone makes u.
That's amazing. Beggers have now started donating goods.
Millions of Indians - in fact, more than a billion of them - have applauded the government action to stop anything from this so-called "charity organization" with affiliation to JuD which is classified internationally, including by the UN, as a terrorist organization. JuD has been responsible for the Mumbai carnage of 2008, killing nearly 200 innocent civilians (including women and infants). The JuD has no shame; in fact, Pakistan has no shame that it allows terrorists to roam around freely in the country. Also, you have probably heard of the saying "charity begins at home". Why don't you help the poor, miserably and persecuted people in Pakistan instead of trying to help Indian Kashmiris whom India can help very well, thank you. In fact, India would like to offer its assistance to the down-trodden and persecuted people of Baluchistan. Care to have some?
Misleading headlines. They were stopped by Pakistani authorities (see last 2 paras of the narrative). Further, after Mumbai attack, do JuD hope to get near India ever.
And Ishaq Dar is asking for international aid for IDPs, why don't these mullas look after their own people and not worry about kashmiri people at the moment. You don't do charity when you have begging bowl in your other hand. Brainless creatures!!!!!!