Pakistan regrets negative Indian response to PM’s offer

Foreign Office has regretted Indian negative remarks regarding a goodwill suggestion by Prime Minister Imran Khan to share Pakistan’s successful experience in ameliorating impact of COVID-19 on the poorest sections of the society.

In a statement on Friday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said the remarks by the Indian External Affairs Ministry reflect an  unprofessional attempt of point-scoring over a serious issue that involves lives of millions of poor people in the sub-continent, worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aisha Farooqui said the Prime Minister’s suggestion was in the backdrop of a study by a reputable U.S. University that highlighted the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on Indian households especially the poorest sections of the society and effectiveness of direct cash transfers and food to the poor families affected by lockdowns.

She mentioned that international agencies have appreciated positive impact of the Government of Pakistan’s direct cash transfer of 120 billion rupees to 10 million poor families in most transparent manner.

The Prime Minister’s offer at this challenging time of a global pandemic was in consonance with the initiative for sharing national experiences among SAARC member countries in dealing with the impact of COVID-19.

She said Indian external Affairs ministry’s response to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s suggestion is inconsistent with the stated position of their own leadership.

The spokesperson emphasized that the global pandemic is a common challenge demanding serious efforts and honest sharing of national experiences among countries while rising above petty point-scoring.