Pakistan

Australia announces $19m aid for Pakistan

Bishop is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army chief General Raheel Sharif

Afp/our Correspondent May 06, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Wednesday announced a $19 million aid package for Pakistan that includes help for border areas hit by conflict and natural disasters.

Bishop made the pledge during a two-day visit to Islamabad, where she is holding talks with her counterpart Sartaj Aziz on efforts to counter militancy, the future of Afghanistan and the reported rise of the Islamic State group in the region.

The aid package includes $8 million to help restore infrastructure damaged by floods and conflict in the restive northwest and southwest, and around $8 million to support a trade initiative in partnership with the World Bank.

It has not yet been announced where the remaining assistance will be spent.

Bishop added the two countries "have common interests in countering transnational crimes including drug- and human-smuggling".

Thousands of Hazaras have in recent years fled to Balochistan bound for Australia, which in 2013 introduced a military-led operation to turn back boats carrying asylum-seekers before they reach the continent.

Bishop said she would also encourage Australian tourism to Pakistan, which has been battling a homegrown insurgency for over a decade.

"People-to-people links are important and of course we want to see Pakistan as a safe and secure environment so that you can engage international visitors," she said.

Regarding the Islamic State organisation, which has seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, Bishop said: "We believe that there are around 100 foreign terrorists from Australia currently in Iraq and Syria supporting this... barbaric and terrorist organisation."

Australia encourages India, Pakistan to resolve Kashmir dispute

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Wednesday said that her country will encourage both Pakistan and India to resolve their longstanding dispute over Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a joint news conference with PM Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, the visiting foreign minister, however, made it clear that Australia does not want to take sides, but rather wants Islamabad and New Delhi to resolve their disputes bilaterally.

PHOTO: AFP

Read: Australia Day in Spring: Australian embassy works to bridge gap with Pakistan

Bishop arrived here on a first visit to Pakistan as Australian foreign minister. She held formal talks with Sartaj Aziz and will also call on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as well as the Army Chief Raheel Sharif.

PHOTO: AFP

She told reporters that her visit highlights the importance Australia attaches to its bilateral ties with Pakistan.

She said Australia will provide $24 million in financial assistance, including $10 million for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

The top Australian diplomat also highlighted the threat of terrorism and pointed out that Islamabad and Canberra could closely cooperate with each other in order to counter violent extremism.

PHOTO: AFP

She said Australia will be holding a summit on counter-terrorism in June.

Sartaj Aziz told reporters that Pakistan is looking forward to enhance trade and economic ties with Australia. Aziz added that the prime minister is expected to visit Australia later this year.

COMMENTS (12)

raider | 9 years ago | Reply @Ibrar: you looks real Pakistani

Ranjha | 9 years ago | Reply @Ibrar: Ok. Keep on begging.

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arif | 9 years ago | Reply @manzar: That's not true.

Ibrar | 9 years ago | Reply @Ranjha: This sounds like a contribution to repatriate displaced persons and is not really an aid in its conventional sense. There do not seem to be any strings involved with this sum and should be accepted with appreciation.

manzar | 9 years ago | Reply We accept 19 million in aid while our prime minister's visit to Bahawalpur alone cost more than two million. This is the right way to break the begging bowl

Ranjha | 9 years ago | Reply My God! A whole $19 million in aid! How are we even going to spend this princely sum? Could we not sell ourselves somewhere else for a bit more? I mean Raiwind palace alone must be worth at least double that amount.

Kushal | 9 years ago | Reply but rather wants Islamabad and New Delhi to resolve their disputes bilaterally. What about the UN resolution?

Bobb Mack | 9 years ago | Reply @Vectra: India's clout should not be over blown. The fact that foreign dignitaries continue to mention Kashmir is good for Pakistan and when they say they are not taking sides it means they are not supporting Indian position either (they are not saying Kashmir is India's atoot ang) . We are not opposed to bilateral dialogue as long as Indians too are willing but we know they would continue to pre-empt any meaningful negotiations using one of their many lame excuses. We know that UN resolution on Kashmir, unlike some other international disputes, exists in a form which makes it difficult for the UN to enforce them. Rather it exists as a guideline to resolve the issue apart from the fact that it was India who went to UN for arbitration. However even if India is not willing to talk we must keep the flame burning in support of Kashmiris. We should not assume that countries who are not proactively supporting us on Kashmir issue are not our friends. The geopolitical scenario is such that at this point in time no matter how loud China can become in its support on this issue it is not going to make things move quicker and the way we would like to see. China has co-operated with us on many fronts and is now keen to make heavy investment in Pakistan on a long term and mutually beneficial terms. Once we are economically strong we could deal with India ourselves without any major external support.

Nadeem | 9 years ago | Reply Good. We need more and more international visitors talking about Kashmir Dispute

Vectra | 9 years ago | Reply By making it clear that Australia wants Islamabad and New Delhi to resolve their disputes "Bilaterally",Australia is clearly on Indian side just like all other countries because Bilateral itself is India's stand and all nation who supports Bilateral word is clearly on India's side while UN is pakistans stand and currently no nation support UN word in Kashmir case thus signifying India's international clout and influence in the world and Australia everybody knows will never anger New Delhi even China too sidelined Kashmir issue and in recent President Xi's visit to pakistan he did not uttered a single K word in his address to pakistani parliament and during his entire tour as well

Sarfaraz Abbasi | 9 years ago | Reply Why do all foreign delegation pay visit to Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore? Why are they not allowed to visit Karachi and Quetta?

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