I have heard and read this term several times before and since saturday it is being resonated in pakistan and world media through Morons who would liek to gain political benefits through all this trauma.
Lets take a look at initial aid provided by prominent countries. I am writing it down from memory so dont quote me on it. There might be few discrepancy
US $100,000
Canada $300,000
UK $50,000
Saudia SR 10,000,00
Germany $ 67,000
Japan $200,000
Could these countries not offer more? Yes they could. So why did they not?
There are mainly two reasons for that. 1) Extent of damage was thought to be limited and 2) To let Pakistani Govt know that we are willing to offer more once the true extent is known. These countries follow a certain procedures (apart from Saudia) to approve aid and stuff and I can understand why did that happen initially.
Now we can see that floodgates have opened as the damage proportions unfold. We are getting more aid in tens of millions from these very countries who were offering ‘peanut aid’ plus our muslim brothers UAE and Kuwait’s extraordinary help.
Even if those countries offered ‘peanut aid’, I ask thosemullahs and their supports as why the flag-bearers of muslim struggle did not? Is planning to bomb a restaurant more important to spend money on rather than helping a kashmiri family rebuild their house?
p.s Mods, feel free to merge this thread with any other if deemed suitable.
If you include the private contributions, most probably US will top the list. There was a report on the Radio today that Islamic Relief is planning to raise 100 million for the relief efforts and 20% of it, as is the case in the past, will come from the US.
Private contributions are also being made in places like Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia led by expat Pakistani communites, local Arabs AND individual governments. So they are still likely to come out on top. Close to $4 million has been raised by the UK Pakistani community, and that only in a couple of days, which puts to shame the the small amount of aid the British government has committed.
silly billy - don't turn this aid thing into a competition of who 'comes on top' Even a single Rupee given with good niyat should go along way and we should be thankfull to all who are helping, regardless of the 'amount'. I hope, you'd agree.
Sugar, I guess the best you can do is do your job and help out in some sort of way and not worry too much if 5% of donations end up in the wrong hands.
24 more US Chinooks to help quake relief: Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Oct 11 (AFP) Pakistan's military on Tuesday said United States was to send 24 more giant Chinook heavy lift helicopters to help the relief efforts. The US military in Afghanistan had already sent five Chinooks and three Black Hawk choppers on Monday and the new helicopters were expected next week, military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said. Two German helicopters and four Afghan helicopters were also due to arrive in Pakistan in coming days, Sultan added. Sultan said 34 Pakistani military helicopters were currently involved in the relief effort.(Posted @ 20:02 PST)
Can one of the chinooks after they are done with the rescue and relief effort, air lift Qazi with them and drop him somewhere in mid air over Afghanistan, tora bora to be exact. He has a meeting to attend.
