Posted by iPakistan on August 20, 2010
Islamabad, Aug 20 (IANS) Over 200,000 domesticated animals have died in the floods in Pakistan, and poultry in many areas have been completely wiped out, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said Friday.
Many domestic animals like cows, sheep, buffalo, goats and donkeys have been confirmed dead in Pakistan but the final number will be much higher, possibly in millions, Xinhua reported citing a FAO statement.
Many animals died because people had to leave them behind when they were rescued, the statement said.
“You can put chickens, goats and sheep in the boat and take them with you but you can’t take a buffalo or a cow,” said Simon Mack, chief of the Livestock Production Systems Branch.
Livestock make up about half of the country’s agricultural gross domestic product (GDP), said FAO.
“Livestock in this country are the poor people’s mobile ATM,” said David Doolan, a senior FAO officer in Pakistan.
“In good times, people build up herds and in bad times, they sell livestock to generate cash. Every animal we save is a productive asset that poor families can use to rebuild their lives when the floods finally pass.”
The main priority was to get feed to the animals that have survived. However, much of the traditional animal feed – like straw and grass – has been lost in the floods.
The UN has asked for $5.7 million in emergency assistance for livestock and FAO has mobilised $1.4 million for the procurement of feed and for animal vaccines.
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New Delhi/New York, Aug 20 (IANS) After vacillating for a week, Pakistan Friday accepted the Indian offer of $5 million aid for its flood victims. Welcoming Islamabad’s decision, India said the aid was a “goodwill gesture of solidarity”.
“I can share with you that the government of Pakistan has agreed to accept the Indian offer (of $5 million aid),” Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters on the sidelines of a session at the UN headquarters in New York.
Qureshi thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his government and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna for this “very positive” gesture of extending aid and said it was highly appreciated by Pakistan. A large part of Pakistan has been hit by the worst-ever floods in the last eight decades that has left over 1,600 people dead and affected over 20 million.
New Delhi was quick to welcome Islamabad’s decision to accept aid that was offered by Krishna during his telephonic conversation with Qureshi Aug 13.
“We welcome the decision by Pakistan to accept the offer of assistance that has been made,” external affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash told reporters in New Delhi.
“It is a goodwill offer, in the spirit of solidarity and goodwill for the people of Pakistan,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s acceptance has been conveyed to India.
“We believe that India and Pakistan share a common destiny and also that it is a common interest for both our countries to work towards having a cordial and cooperative relationship,” he added.
Pakistan’s decision to accept aid came after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani Thursday.
When Pakistan was dithering over accepting Indian aid, the US early this week asked it to accept the aid, saying that politics should not come in the way of managing the aftermath of a disaster.
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By Awais Saleem
Islamabad, Aug 20 (IANS) Islamabad’s acceptance of New Delhi’s $5 million aid for the flood victims was cautiously welcomed in Pakistan with an analyst saying that “the government has done well in putting politics aside and accepting the Indian offer”.
The Indian government announced the assistance for relief and rehabilitation of the calamity hit people of Pakistan over a week ago. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also called up his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani Thursday to reiterate the commitment.
The foreign office had initially said that Pakistan had not outrightly rejected the offer and the authorities concerned were looking into it.
Finally, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on the sidelines of the UN summit in New York on flood situation, confirmed that the country has accepted the Indian offer.
Former diplomat Zafar Hilali said he was unsure whether Pakistan should have accepted the Indian offer.
He said that India had been accusing Pakistan of exporting terrorism and that has hurt the feelings on this side of the border.
Pakistan, he said, was suffering from one of the worst disasters in history and the Indian prime minister had taken three weeks before calling his Pakistani counterpart.
“It seems the Indian offer is without any sincerity of purpose and the neighbouring country is only playing to the gallery,” he said.
Pakistan’s worst ever floods, which took place early this month, have killed over 1,600 people and displaced about 20 million others in the country. The deluge submerged one-fifth of the country, making it difficult for aid workers and officials to provide relief to the victims.
Spokesperson of the main opposition party PML-N, Ahsan Iqbal, reiterated that his party’s official stance was to meet this challenge with indigenous resources.
“We should tighten the belt and cut down on the development and current expenditure to raise more than $300 billion.”
To a query on whether the acceptance of Indian offer could bring both countries closer, he said that it would be difficult to pre-judge anything at this stage.
Sajjad Naseer, a professor and a political analyst, welcomed the acceptance of the Indian assistance. He added that the initial reluctance in the backdrop of strained bilateral relations was understandable.
He said: “However, with the aid pouring in from other countries, the government has done well in putting politics aside and accept the Indian offer.”
Naseer expressed the hope this would help in breaking the ice between the two countries.
He pointed out that the country is likely to be gripped by acute shortage of food resources in the next few months and accepting Indian assistance could help in combating the challenges ahead.
Ali Nawaz, an industrialist, said it was good that both the governments were ready to move on while putting the bitterness aside.
“However, it would be too early to jump to any conclusions,” he cautioned and added that such small gestures could certainly help in easing the tensions.
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Islamabad, Aug 20(ANI): Pakistan’s Senate Committee on Privileges has recommended to President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) patron, Asif Ali Zardari, to remove PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt on charges that he maligned and questioned the credibility of some of its members on sports.
Senator Tahir Mashadi, who heads the privileges committee, said that the committee gave its recommendations after finding Butt guilty in the two privilege motions moved by the senators.
“The PCB chairman asked for more time to look into the allegations levelled against him. But the PCB chief was given enough time to explain his position which he could not,” The Daily Times quoted Mashidi, as saying.
“The committee found Ijaz guilty of breaching the privilege of the parliament and its members,” he added.
He further said that the recommendations of the committee would be forwarded to Zardari for Butt’s removal from his office through Sports Minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani.
In the first privilege motion, the PCB chief in February last year said in a statement that he was not answerable to the Parliament as the President is the patron and he was only answerable to him.
The second privilege motion was moved by Senator Haroon Khan and Senator Tariq Azeem, in which both the senators were of the view that Butt on an occasion passed derogatory remarks not only against them, but also against the whole parliament.
Mashadi had earlier said that the PCB chief would be given a fair opportunity to defend himself.
“He will be questioned on why he tried to malign and question the credibility of some senators in the media,” Mashadi had said.
“If he is able to prove that he didn’t breach the privileges of the Senators fine, but if he can’t do this then he will be censured, a recommendation will be sent to the President and Prime Minister to remove him immediately and we will also move a privilege motion against him in the Senate,” he added.
He further pointed out that it was not the first time that Butt was facing such charges.
Last year, some Senators had moved a privilege motion against him, but the matter was brushed under the carpet. (ANI)
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Islamabad, Aug 20 (IANS) Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and a top US senator have warned that militants may exploit orphans and children of flood-affected people for their terror activities.
“We are giving them everything we’ve got. There is a possibility that some negative forces would exploit this situation. For example, militants can take orphaned babies and put them in terror training camps,” the president said at a joint press conference with US Senator John Kerry Thursday after visiting flood-affected areas of Multan and Jampur.
Zardari urged the international community to help Pakistan in its hour of need so that the affected families could be enabled to stand on their own feet and not to fall prey to terrorist organisations, Dawn News reported Friday.
“We need to address that, all of us, rapidly, to avoid their impatience boiling over or people exploiting that impatience,” he said.
He said the world must act swiftly to stop militants from exploiting the country’s devastating floods and to prevent social unrest.
“I am sending an SOS on that. All such catastrophes give strength to those forces which do not want a state structure,” he said.
Responding to the fears expressed by the president, Senator Kerry said: “None of us wants to see this crisis provide an opportunity or an excuse for people who want to exploit the misfortune of others for political or ideological purposes.
“It is important for all of us to work overtime to provide the assistance that is necessary… I know that President Obama is determined to do that,” Kerry said.
Replying to a question, Zardari said: “I am not the government, I am the governance. But I assure you that the funds will be distributed in a transparent manner.”
The president was of the view that some undemocratic forces were maligning the government with their false propaganda about possibilities of corruption in utilisation of funds.
“There have been allegations against the government but they are malicious and baseless as always, aimed only at weakening the democracy,” he said.
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Islamabad, Aug.20 (ANI): Confusion prevails over who actually controls the Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad, as the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has rebuked the senate standing committee on health secretary’s statement that the airbase is under the US’ command.
A statement issued by the PAF rejected the committee’s claims, saying such reports were untrue.
“Certain sections of the print and electronic media have wrongly reported that the PAF Base Shahbaz (Jacobabad) is under the control of the US. This has been spread by uninformed people,” the statement said.
The PAF also organised a media tour of the airbase to prove its point.
Interacting with media persons during the hurriedly organised tour, Air Vice Marshal Arshad Quddus of the Southern Air Command asked reporters to see for themselves whether the airbase houses any American drones or aircrafts.
“The Shahbaz Airbase is under complete operational control of the PAF. If you see any American let me know…. seeing is believing… there are no drones and no Americans,” The Dawn quoted Quddus, as saying.
Quddus, however, said that some Americans were present at the airbase to provide technical assistance to the air force which had recently acquired the upgraded F-16 fighter jets from Washington.
He pointed out that health secretary Khusnood Lashari’s statement was out of context.
“I don’t know why a senior federal health ministry official commented over the airbase… I think he is not aware,” Quddus said. (ANI)
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New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) India Friday said Pakistan had accepted its $5 million aid for flood victims and welcomed Islamabad’s decision to do so.
“Pakistan has conveyed to India its acceptance of the Indian aid. We welcome the decision by Pakistan to accept this offer,” Vishnu Prakash, external affairs ministry spokesperson, told reporters here.
“It is a goodwill gesture of solidarity. We believe India and Pakistan share a common destiny and it is in our common interest to work together for a cooperative relationship,” Prakash added.
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna had offered a $5 million aid for the relief of flood victims Aug 13.
Pakistan is grappling with its worst-ever floods that have left over 1,600 people dead and over 20 million people affected.
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Islamabad, Aug.20 (ANI): The Pakistan Army has assured the world that the country’s military and nuclear installations are completely safe even as the nation struggles to cope with devastating floods.
“There is no danger to our defence and nuclear installations from flooding. All our nuclear and military installations have remained safe and there is no further danger from flooding,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) DG Major General Athar Abbas said.
Pakistan has two nuclear power plants at Chasma in south Punjab along the Indus River, which broke its banks and wreaked havoc in the region following continuous monsoon rains.
Nearly one-fifth of Pakistan is badly hit by the deluge, the worst in the country in 80 years.
Over 1,700 people have died and the UN says more than 6,50,000 people are without basic shelter while six million desperately need emergency aid. (ANI)
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New York, Aug.20 (ANI): A day after the US asked Pakistan to accept India’s five million dollar flood assistance package, Islamabad has accepted New Delhi’s offer.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the special session of the General Assembly on Pakistan at the United Nations (UN) headquarters, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi appreciated India’s gesture and said his government has agreed to accept the aid from the neighbouring country.
“I can share with you that the Government of Pakistan has agreed to accept the Indian offer,” Qureshi said.
Qureshi rejected the notion that Pakistan was playing politics with the issues.
On Thursday, Islamabad said it is yet to decide on the five million dollars aid pledged by India last week to help the victims of the deluge.
Speaking during a regular briefing, foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit, said : “The Pakistan government is considering the proposal and no decision has been made in this regard.”
“We appreciate the gesture by India. Their offer has been conveyed to relevant authorities and the matter is under consideration,” Basit added.
On August 13, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna had conveyed deep sympathies on behalf of the Government of India and the people of the country on the devastation caused by floods while offering the fund. (ANI)
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Islamabad, Aug.20 (ANI): Echoing the international community’s fears regarding extremists taking advantage of the devastating floods, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed concerns over militants adopting flood orphans to train them as terrorists of tomorrow.
Talking to reporters during a joint press conference along with US Senator John Kerry at the Chaklala Air Base after visiting flood-affected areas, Zardari urged the international community to pour funds to prevent ‘social unrest’ in the country.
“There is a possibility that the negative forces would exploit the situation. Like they would take the babies who have been made orphans and take them to their camps and train them as the terrorists of tomorrow,” The Daily Times quoted Zardari, as saying.
“I am sending an SOS on that,” he added.
Zardari said the government was trying its best to provide relief to thousands of people affected by the catastrophe, however, he also cautioned people over extremists taking advantage of the situation.
“We are giving them (victims) everything we’ve got. There is a possibility that some negative forces would exploit this situation,” he said.
Speaking during the press conference, Kerry said President Obama is committed to help Pakistan amidst the impending crisis and certainly does not want the negative forces to exploit the situation for their benefit.
“None of us wants to see this crisis provide an opportunity or an excuse for people who want to exploit the misfortune of others for political or ideological purposes. It is important for all of us to work over time to provide the assistance that is necessary… I know that President (Barack) Obama is determined to do that,” Kerry said. (ANI)
