Cameron calls Gilani, offers help for flood victims

Gliani tells Cameron that Pakistan believes in an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led peace process.

ISLAMABAD: British Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday telephoned Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and said his country was ready to help the rain victims and people affected by devastating rains and floods in Sindh.

Cameron also appreciated Gilani’s decision of calling off his visit to New York to address the UN General Assembly session in view of the devastation caused by heavy rains in the province of Sindh.

Prime Minister Gilani informed his British counterpart during the telephonic conversation that from tomorrow (Saturday) he was going to tour the flood and rain affected areas of the province to supervise the relief measures being carried out by the government and private agencies and also gear up the state machinery to take immediate and effective steps to mitigate the sufferings of around five million affected people at the earliest.

The Prime Minister regretted that he would not be able to meet his counterpart in London due to cancellation of his visit to New York.

Gilani told the British Prime Minister that he had directed the Foreign Minister to represent Pakistan at the UN General Assembly session.

On this, the British Prime Minister said that besides the meeting of British Foreign Secretary with his Pakistani counterpart during the UN General Assembly session, he would also meet the Pakistani Foreign Minister in New York.

On the question of Afghanistan, the British Prime Minister exchanged views with Prime Minister Gilani, who told him that his country supports the process of reconciliation in Afghanistan, which is Afghan-owned and Afghan-led.

Gilani said that “we want a peaceful, stable, independent and prosperous Afghanistan.”

Prime Minister Gilani said that “his meeting Afghan President was scheduled in New York that would have provided us good opportunity to discuss the latest Afghan situation but the domestic grave situation due to floods and rains have made it impossible.”

The Prime Minister said that Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar will meet the Afghan President to assure him that Pakistan would extend support for the solution in accordance with the aspirations of the people and at the same time, instrumental to the stability of the region.