News
Saturday, September 04, 2010
US, int’l community should help in flood relief, says Gilani
* Prime minister appreciates Obama administration’s efforts for tackling Pakistan’s worst natural calamity
ISLAMABAD: The important countries of the international community, including the US, should help Pakistan as much as they can to provide relief to the flood affectees as Pakistan cannot cope with the magnitude of the natural calamity alone, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Friday.
The PM made these remarks while meeting a US Congressional delegation led by Jim Marshall at his Parliament House chamber. The American lawmakers told Gilani that the Obama administration and the US Congress strongly desired for the continuation and the strengthening of democracy in Pakistan and believed that its relationship with Islamabad was absolutely based on a civilian and constitutional based set-up. They informed the PM that during their meeting with Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani, they had highlighted these sentiments as well. The Congress delegation appreciated Pakistan’s armed forces’ role in the relief and rescue operations in the flood-hit areas and in the war against terrorism. The American lawmakers assured Gilani of continued support for establishing civilian institutions and building their capacity for disaster management and relief activities so that they could play a proactive role in any future natural calamities.
The PM appreciated US President Barack Obama and the US Congress for standing by the government and people of Pakistan in coping with the massive challenges posed by the floods, the war on terrorism and efforts to strengthen the democratic institutions in the country. He told the US delegation that the brave and resilient Pakistani nation stood united to meet the challenges and parliament was expected to pass a resolution to exhibit unity against any move to derail democracy. The PM, acknowledging the US government and armed forces’ valuable support to the federal government’s efforts for rescuing the precious lives of the people stranded in the massive floods, hoped that the US would continue to assist Pakistan in the rehabilitation and reconstruction phases.
Gilani apprised the US delegation of the colossal devastation caused by the natural calamity and said that the federal government was in the process of establishing an oversight council to ensure complete transparency in the utilisation of assistance generated locally as well as from abroad.
The PM said that the meeting of the Council of Common Interests had been scheduled for the beginning of the next week to bring all the stakeholders on board to devise a national plan for rehabilitation and reconstruction, which would further establish confidence of the people in the federal government. Gilani said that Pakistan and the US had a close strategic relationship and expressed a desire to further enhance the bilateral ties in the future. He reiterated the federal government’s resolve to keep pursuing the war against terrorism for the safety of Pakistan as well as the world at large. The PM said that the federal government would continue its economic reforms programme to broaden the tax base of the economy. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk