BY OUR DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmed has dispelled the impression of immediate imports of vegetables and other editable items from Indian to meet the food shortage due to devastating floods in Pakistan Responding to questions in a weekly media briefing he said, “we are in touch with countries in the broader neighborhood to facilitate import of those commodities as early as possible”.The spokesperson however clarified that as regards to India, currently there is no such thing under consideration. The colossal scale of devastation across various parts of the country, brought about by the unprecedented climate catastrophe, has affected more than 33 million people, he added. Mr Asim said over 1,100 people including over 350 children have lost their lives, more than 1,600 people have been injured, over a million houses have been partially or fully damaged or destroyed He added that entire villages have been wiped out, over 735,000 livestock have perished and over 2 million acres of crops have been lost, besides severe damage to communications infrastructure..
Pakistan and United Nations have jointly launched flash appeal amounting to US$ 160.3 million covering food security, assistance for agriculture and livestock, shelter and non-food items, nutrition programs, primary health services, protection, water and sanitation, women’s health, and education support, as well as shelter for displaced people.Hetild reporters tgat UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will be visiting Pakistan on 9-10 September. This will be an important visit. Secretary General will be here to express solidarity and international community’s support for Pakistan at this difficult time, he said..The Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday and a strong demarche was made over India’s continued apathy towards the iconic Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani’s right to a burial in accordance with his will and the wishes of his family.Pakistan’s deep regret was conveyed over Government of India’s persisting intransigence that has denied Syed Ali Geelani’s mortal remains a dignified burial in the “Cemetery of Martyrs” as per his desire.
