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US to give extra $200 mln for Malakand affectees
[Geo News] The United States Wednesday announced an additional amount of 200 million dollars in aid for the affectees of the ongoing operation in Malakand division.US special envoy to Pakistan Richard Holbrooke announced this while talking to media along with President Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi here in the Presidency. On the occasion Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi thanked the US for providing 110 million dollars in aid to Pakistan, saying Pakistan was appreciative of this US gesture. The FM said the present democratic government made sincere efforts to build national consensus and a way forward to fight against militancy. President Asif Ali Zardari said that Pakistan is committed to defend its territory from the militants. "We are committed to defend and wherever there is threat we will follow it," President said in response to a question about military action in Waziristan and other areas. Replying to a question about winning the war against militants, President Zardari said anything to say in this regard is too soon. "We have war of ideology to fight. We have a war where we have hearts and minds to win. Once we have won hearts and minds of the people of the region, then I will say that we have progressed," he added. Richard Holbrooke assured that US will provide additional assistance to the government of Pakistan in its moments of need. He said 10 days ago the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton had announced 110 million aid for Pakistan and now US president Barack Obama has sought an extra aid of 200 million dollars from the Congress. Hopefully the Congress will accede to it, he added. Ambassador Holbrooke said that reconstruction phase will be very important and very critical and assured full American help and support in this phase. "I hope people of Pakistan will understand our country's leading role in responding quickly in this need of hour. President Obama is personally involved in it as US really cares about Pakistan," he added. Posted by: Fred 2009-06-04 |
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