April 21; Dawn:
Pakistan govt will be in charge of relief funds, says US
WASHINGTON: The United States has said the government of Pakistan will be in charge of more than $150 million it is donating for flood victims but Washington will closely monitor the process to prevent misappropriation.
“Who’s in charge of the relief effort? It is the government of Pakistan. We are working closely with the national disaster authority in Pakistan. We are following Pakistan’s lead,” State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley told a briefing in Washington.
The US, he said, was trying not only to meet the immediate needs of the Pakistani people, but also their long-term needs.
And in this effort, “we will be guided by how – what Pakistan feels is its most significant needs. So who is ultimately responsible? It’s the government of Pakistan to support and respond to the needs of its people. We are here to help Pakistan do that”.
When urged to send a clear message to the Pakistanis that the funds meant for the flood victims would not be misused, Mr Crowley said: “We will not tolerate corruption. The assistance that we are providing is for the people of Pakistan. We want to see this assistance get directly to the people of Pakistan.”
He said the US was working directly with Pakistani officials who were involved in relief operations after the 2005 earthquake and referred to a recent statement by a USAID official who praised those Pakistanis as honest and trustworthy.
“That helps us with the kind of cooperation and seamless support that we’re looking for. In terms of assistance,” Mr Crowley said.
“In terms of assistance, there are all kinds of assistance. Some of it is direct support through our military stocks directly to the Pakistani people. In some cases, it’s through non-governmental organisations,” he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment