Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran - brotherly and neighbourly solidarity. :k: :k: :k:
Afghanistan’s flag at half mast
Afghanistan lowered its flags to half mast on Monday in sympathy with Pakistan as it rushed helicopters, doctors and tons of medicines and food to the country The flag would be flown at half mast for three days in mourning for the thousands of people killed in Saturday’s earthquake, presidential spokesman Karim Rahimi told reporters. Four helicopters from Afghanistan’s air force and a plane headed across the border with four tons of medicines and teams of doctors and nurses, Mr Rahimi said. The country had also pledged $500,000 to the relief effort, he said.
The helicopters were scheduled to stay in Pakistan for 10 days although their deployment could be extended, defence ministry spokesman Gen Mohammad Zahir Azimi said. The Afghan medical teams were likely to go to Bagh area in Azad Kashmir, which was hit particularly hard by the tremor, which also shook parts of Afghanistan, he said. The earthquake killed three people in eastern Afghanistan and toppled a handful of mud-brick homes. Afghanistan’s Red Crescent Society will also despatch rescue teams and about 20 tons of dried fruit, the presidential spokesman said. “Pakistan helped us when we were in need,” Mr Rahimi said. “Today unfortunately the people of Pakistan are in need, we will do whatever we can do to help them."
http://www.dawn.com/2005/10/11/top12.htm
Re: Afghanistan’s flag at half mast - rushes aid to Pakistan
**Karzai urges people to help quake victims **
Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged the people of his poverty-stricken nation yesterday to open their purses for the tens of thousands of victims of a massive earthquake in neighbouring Pakistan. “I would like to make an appeal here to all of the Afghan people that our hands should be extended to the maximum help that our brothers and sisters can afford,” he said. “The hearts of the Afghan people are full of grief and pain and sorrow for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan, for those who have suffered,” he said at a media briefing with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world and where most people live below the poverty line, has sent four military helicopters, food and medicine to Pakistan after Saturday’s earthquake.
It has also pledged $500,000 to the relief effort and the Red Crescent Society has sent about 20 tons of dried fruit. Saturday’s earthquake has left more than 24,000 people dead in south Asia, including nearly 23,000 dead in Pakistan. An estimated 2.5 million people were left homeless, many of them hungry and exposed to cold and rain. Quake victims and international relief officials in both countries have expressed frustration at the pace of relief work. The arrival of the first aid in the town of Battagram, about 30 km from Bata Mora, on Tuesday, caused scuffles. “The people are very angry over the late arrival of the aid,” said a local journalist. “Many people were lying under open sky in hail and rain yesterday with no shelter. Today, the weather is clear and the army has promised to give 750 tents to us.”
Across the border, a villager in the Indian hamlet of Pingla Haridal told a Reuters team: “The world has forgotten we exist. You are the first people here asking about us besides some soldiers who pulled out bodies on the first day.” The 7.6 magnitude earthquake was the strongest to hit the region in a century and severely stretched the resources of the Pakistani army, which has headed the relief operation. A senior UN official said the operation had improved with the arrival of more helicopters, including some US military aircraft usually used in the war on militants in neighboring Afghanistan. “But in the areas rescue teams have not yet been able to reach, hope basically is fading," he said.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Philippines+%26+South+Asia&month=October2005&file=World_News200510134032.xml
Re: Afghanistan’s flag at half mast - rushes aid to Pakistan
Good :k:
Thank you to them 
Re: Afghanistan’s flag at half mast - rushes aid to Pakistan
Afghan President Hamid Karzai due in Pakistan Monday
President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai will bring a planeload of relief goods when he travels to Islamabad on a daylong visit Monday to express solidarity with the people and leadership of Pakistan over the colossal human loss caused by the October 8 earthquake. He will hold separate meetings with President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Afghan Vice President and Minister for Finance Hidayat Amin Arsala and Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah will accompany him during the visit. The Afghan president will ascertain magnitude of the losses caused by the devastating earthquake. He may also visit some quake-stricken areas in northern Pakistan. Afghanistan has already provided a helicopter with its staff to Pakistan to take part in the rescue and relief activities. The Afghan president will be visiting Islamabad for the second time during the current year. The Afghan leader is expected to hold an informal discussion over regional developments during the course of his interaction with the host leaders here, the sources added. Foreign Office sources, however, said the Afghan president would be discussing no other subject with his counterpart from Pakistan except the quake and relief programme.
**Hamid Karazai is the third head of the state/government visiting Islamabad in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. Earlier, Jordanian King Abdullah-II and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Pakistan to express solidarity with the people and government over the earthquake disaster. **
http://www.pakistanlink.com/Headlines/Oct05/23/08.htm