Pakistan considers help from India

2010-08-14 12:56

Can Merey

Islamabad - The Pakistan government was Saturday considering an offer of help for flood relief by traditional rival India, a local news report said.

New Delhi has offered $5m to help its neighbour deal with the worst flooding this century, the Dawn newspaper said.

The floods have left more than 1300 dead, around 14 million displaced and up to 20 per cent of the country under water, according to official estimates.

The aid offer was made in a phone call between Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart, in a "gesture of solidarity", a statement by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was quoted as saying by the report.

Sources in the Pakistani Foreign Ministry confirmed the offer was being considered.

"We have not rejected the offer outright and a decision would be made soon," a senior official was quoted as saying by Dawn.

Pakistan has made several calls for international support in dealing with the widespread flooding.

But relations with India have been tense since the two countries were partitioned into separate states 63 years ago this weekend, with war breaking out between them on three occasions.

Peace talks begun in 2004 between the nuclear-armed neighbours have been on hold since the terrorist attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai in November 2008 which left 166 dead. India accuses Pakistan of not doing enough to rein in Islamist terrorist organisations.

- Sapa-dpa