FO rejects Indian report casting aspersions on flood relief

Unfortunate some elements in the Indian media are attempting to cast doubts on the relief efforts, says FO

ISLAMABAD:

The Foreign Office categorically rejected certain reports in the Indian media insinuating that the a banned organisation was involved in the flood relief work in Pakistan, terming such stories part of India’s attempts to mislead the international audience.

In response to media queries on a story carried by an Indian news outlet, the Foreign Office said in a statement that it was not the first time that the Indian media showed their proclivity to carry baseless and motivated stories to further a political agenda.

In a report earlier, ‘The Times of India’ alleged that the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) “have come out in full strength to deliver relief work and collect funds across the country” in the wake of the ongoing floods across the country.

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“Pakistan categorically rejects the contents of the story. It only betrays India’s bias and prejudice towards Pakistan, and is part of India’s regular and continuing attempts to mislead the international audience,” the Foreign Office said in the statement.

“It is also unfortunate that while the international community is single-mindedly focused on helping Pakistan in the wake of an unprecedented natural calamity, some elements in the Indian media are attempting to cast doubts on the relief efforts,” it said.

“Pakistan has put in place strong and robust regulatory and oversight mechanisms to monitor flood relief activity by non-profit and non-governmental organisations. All relevant agencies are vigilant in ensuring that no illicit activity is carried out under the garb of relief efforts.”