Pakistan

Media watch: The trouble with Indian aid and a US airbase

Relief operations hampered by a US airbase in Jacobabad claim officials, while US urges acceptance of Indian aid.

Naureen Aqueel August 19, 2010

Media watch is a daily round-up of key articles featured on news websites, hand-picked by The Express Tribune web staff.

Airbase near Jacobabad under US control, Senate panel told

“Health relief operations are not possible in the flood-affected areas of Jacobabad because the airbase is with the United States,” Mr Lashari said while answering a question asked by Senator Semeen Yusuf Siddiqui of PML-Q. (dawn.com)

Influx of IDPs rising as 22,903 take shelter in 16 camps

The number of internally displaced persons (IDP) arriving in the city due to floods in Sindh has increased to around 22,903 while two more flood-relief camps have been set up in Lyari, Hawkesbay Road, and SITE Polytechnic Institute, raising their number to 16. Irfan Aligi (dailytimes.com.pk)

Ongoing flood crises

As for the President, he has sought to accuse the politicians of seeking photo opportunities from the flood while declaring that “God has chosen us to fight the floods”. One is not sure who the “we” is (the President alone or the PPP) but in any case, given the poor performance so far, one feels God would certainly have chosen better and it is “we” the people of Pakistan who must bear this responsibility squarely on our shoulders alone. (nation.com.pk)

Fakes and photo-ops

This reprehensible act following the revolting scandal of the President's foreign tour at the worst moment in the nation's history, has alienated the sympathies of friends and foes alike, and is symptomatic of the callous disregard of all decent human values by the proponents of the 'people's government'. Rais Ahmad Khan (brecorder.com)

Businessmen refuse to donate in cash to Bakhtawar Fund

Sources said that an embarrassing situation was even recently faced by the PPP leadership, which held a meeting with big businessmen of Karachi to generate donations for Bukhtawar Fund. However, the sources said, almost everybody politely refused to pay in cash and offered to contribute in kind. Ansar Abbasi (thenews.com.pk)

US urges Pak to accept Indian aid; hardliners blame India, US for floods

"I think the priority is to use offers of assistance to help the Pakistani people, so we would encourage Government of Pakistan to accept that (Indian) offer," Frank Ruggiero, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan said on Wednesday. Separately, state department spokesman P J Crowley said, "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 that Pakistan will accept." (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

COMMENTS (5)

inderjit sahota | 14 years ago | Reply If a drowning man questions a lifebelt and refuses to use it,then he deserves to drown. Worse still blames the rescuer for his own plight,then there is no hope.you can cure physical injuries but not collective delusions

Salman | 14 years ago | Reply Ah what an "independent state" we are- our own airbase in our own country is being controled by someone else and we can't even use it for critical support of our own countrymen- salute to ourselves and more importantly to our crook leaders who have run away and sit in comfort of ther US homes while people of their constituencies are drowning and dying of hunger. why don't we die of shame.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Anoop | 14 years ago | Reply Flood is caused by India? If people can come up with this imagine what they can do to other news.. They will twist and turn and project everyone but themselves as victims and everyone else as those responsible.

Vish | 14 years ago | Reply Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [ Images ] on Thursday called his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani [ Images ] and offered more assistance in handling the devastation caused by the floods even though that country rejected the India's [ Images ] aid offer of $5 million. Singh said in such times of natural disasters, all of South Asia should rise to the occasion and extend every possible help to the people of Pakistan affected by the tragedy. In response, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said although Pakistan appreciates India's offer, it cannot accept it in the current circumstances. Nearly one-fifth of Pakistan is reported to be badly hit by the devastating flood, the worst for the country in 80 years. Over 1,700 people have died and the UN says more than 6,50,000 people are without basic shelter while six million desperately need emergency aid. Singh called 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 had already made an offer of assistance and was ready to do more to assist in the relief effort. Last week, Minister of External Affairs S M Krishna [ Images ] had called on his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and offered $ 5 million in aid for flood relief work. With Pakistan previously dilly-dallying on taking $ 5 million in aid for flood relief work from India, the US has said politics should have no role in disaster response and it 'expects' Islamabad [ Images ] to accept the assistance.

Hamza Baloch | 14 years ago | Reply I am always in doubt on amercia aid,as i dont confirmed its for "we are helping America, or america helping us"??

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