Singh asks Gilani to accept India's aid

Singh spoke to Gilani over telephone and expressed his “sorrow” and “condoled the deaths resulting from the huge floods that devastated parts of Pakistan”.

This was the first high-level contact between India and Pakistan after the Foreign Minister level talks between the two neighbours in Islamabad on July 15 ended in a deadlock.

More assistance
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Prime Minister told Gilani that the Government of India had already made an offer of assistance and was ready to do more to assist in the relief effort in Pakistan.

The Prime Minister also said that all of South Asia should rise to the occasion and extend every possible help to the people of Pakistan. Singh’s call to the Pakistani Prime Minister came almost a week after External Affairs Minister S M Krishna spoke to his counterpart in Islamabad, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and conveyed him India’s offer of $5 million assistance for the flood-hit people.

On Thursday, responding to a question on India’s offer, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said: “We appreciate the gesture by India. Their offer has been conveyed to relevant authorities and the matter is under consideration.”

The United States too had nudged Pakistan to accept India’s offer for assistance.
The US State Department spokesman P J Crowley said: “In terms of responding to a disaster, politics should play no role. You have a country (India) that’s willing to help (Pakistan), and...we expect that Pakistan will accept.”

However, Islamabad brushed aside the US advice. “Pakistan is a sovereign country and we will take a decision according to what we believe is the right thing to do,” said Abdul Basit.