Re: Will Pakistan accept Indian help?
Jang Group
Pakistan sends planeload of relief goods to India
(Updated at 1130 PST)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan dispatched a planeload of tents and blankets for
India’s earthquake victims on Tuesday, following a day of confusion
over whether New Delhi would accept help from Islamabad, sources
disclosed.
Pak military C-130 aircraft took off from Islamabad airport at 9:24
a.m. (0424 GMT) for Ahmedabad, the biggest city in India’s quake-hit
western state of Gujarat. Government sources said they had sent 200
tents and 2,500 blankets in the aircraft on Tuesday and would send
three similar consignments in the next two days.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/jan/29quak27.htm
K J M Varma in Islamabad
Pakistan on Monday announced it would begin airlifting a large quantity
of tents and blankets for distribution among Gujarat earthquake victims
after India conveyed willingness to accept its offer to send relief
supplies, Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said.
Sattar told state-run Pakistan Television that planes carrying relief
supplies would make a number of sorties to Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
The latest announcement followed Monday morning’s bitter comments made
by military ruler General Pervez Musharraf stating that India has
declined to accept Islamabad’s offer to send relief supplies saying
there were enough relief supplies available at home to cater to the
needs of quake victims.
A statement issued by Pakistan’s foreign officer, however, said that
President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar and Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf
have sent messages of condolence and sympathy to the President and the
prime minister expressing their sense of grief at the tragic loss of
life and property caused by the severe earthquake in parts of India,
specially in Gujarat.
As a gesture of goodwill, the government of Pakistan has offered to
provide relief assistance for the quake-affected people, the statement
said.
The emergency relief cell of Pakistan has organised the required number
of tents and blankets in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs for despatch to Ahmedabad in a number of air sorties starting
Tuesday.
Strangely, in his interview to the PTV, Sattar said the Indian
government has responded to the offer made by Pakistan on Saturday
indicating Islamabad should send tents and blankets to provide relief
to the quake-hit people of Gujarat.
There was no official explanation available in Islamabad to clarify
what prompted Gen Musharraf to state that India has declined Pakistan’s
offer of relief assistance.
Reacting to Gen Musharraf’s remarks, Indian High Commissions officials
in Islamabad denied that India has rejected Pakistan’s offer.
The officials said that the two countries were still in touch each
other to identify the items to be sent for relief.