[Reader-list] Dawn editorial

[SJabbar]

Indian aid offer 

Dawn Editorial

Monday, 30 Aug, 2010 | 02:09 PM PST |
 
 
After a fortnight of dragging its heels, Pakistan on Saturday refused to
directly accept India¹s offer of flood relief worth $5m, suggesting,
instead, that the aid be routed through the UN.
 
We hope that India does so, for Pakistan¹s need is dire and delays in
assistance can mean the difference between life and death for millions. It
is for this reason that we must also reflect on the Pakistani stance. It is
a matter of record that India¹s offer was acknowledged by Prime Minister
Yousuf Raza Gilani. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in New York
that the Pakistan government appreciated and had accepted India¹s
initiative. As recently as Friday, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira
said that the offer had been accepted. The foreign ministry, however,
maintained throughout that the matter was still under discussion, and these
claims were borne out by the weekend decision.

One wonders why there is so much confusion among the ranks of those who
represent the government. It appears that despite Pakistan¹s desperate need
for aid, in the end political considerations were given precedence over the
welfare of the citizenry. The latter requires immediate assistance
regardless of its source. Pakistan may have benefited if it had recognised
that, given its tense ties with India, particularly after the 2008 Mumbai
attacks, the offer constituted a confidence booster in terms of the
possibility of improved relations in the future, something which has been
attempted for some time now. True, Pakistan chose the middle ground. It has
not outright rejected India¹s offer. But in choosing this route, it has
exposed itself to allegations of political cynicism and ungraceful behaviour
from the Indian press and public, particularly since India made the offer as
a result of domestic criticism that its government was allowing political
considerations to override humanitarian concerns.
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editorial/indian-aid-offer-080