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NATION SEPTEMBER 02, 2022 | The Indian Eye 8

Hit by massive floods and devastation,

but Pakistan plays aid politics with India

Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi
for his concern over the human and material losses

OUR BUREAU ing food prices.
But, according to sources, dis-
Islamabad/New Delhi
cussions are underway at the highest
loods triggered by unprece- levels on the possibility of extending
dented monsoon rains have humanitarian assistance to Pakistan.
Fcaused widespread havoc While no decision has been taken
across Pakistan, killing over 1,100 yet, top officials in South Block are
people and displacing 33 million learnt to be discussing the options on
or one-seventh of the country’s the table.
population. If cleared, it will be the first time
Pakistan Prime Minister Sheh- since the BJP government came to
baz Sharif on Wednesday thanked his power in 2014 that India will be ex-
Indian counterpart Narendra Modi tending aid to Pakistan on account
for his concern over the human and of a natural disaster. In the past, un-
material losses caused by the devas- der the then UPA government, India
tating floods, saying his country will extended assistance to Pakistan for
overcome the adverse effects of the More than 1,200 people have died in Pakistan as one-third of the country remains under water the floods in 2010, and for the earth-
natural calamity. Modi on Monday quake in 2005.
said he was saddened to see the dev- But the Pakistan Foreign Office
astation caused by the floods in Pa- (FO) on Thursday clarified that Paki-
kistan and hoped for an early resto- stan has no proposals under consid-
ration of normalcy. eration currently to allow import of
vegetables from India.
“We are in touch with countries
Grappling with unprecedented in the broader region to facilitate the
floods, the cash-strapped Pa- earliest import of vegetables in the

kistan government on Tuesday country,” FO spokesman Asim If-
tikhar Ahmad said in a weekly press
teamed up with the United Na- briefing today.
Ahmad’s comments come days
tions to issue a flash appeal for after Finance Minister Miftah Ismail
USD 160 million to deal with the said that the government could “con-

disaster. sider importing vegetables and other
edible items from India” to facilitate
people after recent floods destroyed
But Pakistan’s government will
consult coalition partners and key crops across the country.
The finance minister said the
stakeholders on importing food prices of vegetables had risen con-
items from India due to shortages siderably due to shortages and that
caused by the devastating floods, fi- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets flood victims in Sindh he had discussed the issue with the
nance minister Miftah Ismail said on commerce and finance secretaries.
Wednesday amid criticism from the items from India through the land price hikes of some essential com- He added that they would take a plan
opposition over the plan in the wake border. The government will take the modities. to the prime minister in a day or two.
of strained ties with New Delhi over decision to allow imports or not based The ministry of national food “We will open duty-free import,
the Kashmir issue. on the supply shortage position, after security and research also asked the make it easier and I also want to
The idea to import edible goods
from India was first floated by Is- consulting its coalition partners and Federal Board of Revenue to waive say that we will consider importing
through the land border with India
taxes and levies on onion and toma-
key stakeholders,” Ismail tweeted.
mail on Monday, when the coun- Meanwhile, Pakistan has decided to imports for the next three months because these prices [of vegetables]
try’s death toll crossed 1,100 and to import onions and tomatoes from and expects that this will be made are not sustainable,” he had said.
hundreds of thousands of people Iran and Afghanistan in the wake of effective immediately. The measures Pakistan formally downgraded
were displaced, and thousands of an impending food crisis triggered by are aimed at ensuring the supply of its trade relations with India in Au-
acres of crops were destroyed due to the flash floods. essential commodities in the market gust 2019 to the level of Israel with
flash floods that have wrought havoc The rain-triggered flash floods and stabilize prices, according to the which Islamabad has no trade ties at
across the country. have inundated one-third of the ministry. all. The decision had come as a reac-
“More than one international
Earlier this week, Ismail indicat-
agency has approached the govern- country and destroyed farmlands, ed that the government might allow tion to India’s decision to revoke Ar-
causing a threat of shortages of veg-
ticle 370 of its constitution that grant-
ment to allow them to bring food
etables and fruits along with uneven imports from India to stabilize soar- ed occupied Kashmir a special status.
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