Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Pakistan's Chinese friends for increase in volume of aid it provided to country after recent devastating floods. "Our Chinese friends continue helping flood victims in Pakistan. A total volume of aid has increased from 400 million RMB to 644 million RMB," tweeted PM Shehbaz.

He said that Pakistan was "deeply obliged" to Chinese government, Chinese Communist Party, Red Cross Society of China, sister provinces and People's Liberation Army for assistance.

Tweet came hours after well-placed sources told that PM Shehbaz is expected to embark on an official visit to China in first week of November. China was among first countries to come to Pakistan's aid and had announced provision of emergency humanitarian aid, including tents and urgently-needed relief material. Non-governmental organisations are working in flood-affected areas, while aid from international community is also trickling in gradually, but it is yet to cushion catastrophe's damage.

Meanwhile, a day before yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s comments on China’s assistance to Pakistan for flood relief efforts attested to mutual trust and friendship between two countries. FM Bhutto’s comments attest to mutual trust and friendship between our two countries, Mao Ning said in response to a question during her regular briefing.

According to reports, Foreign Minister Bhutto took an interview with Foreign Policy. In response to comment that China had not come to Pakistan’s aid in a big way this year when flood hit, he said it was absolutely incorrect. Spokesperson said that China and Pakistan were linked by mountain and rivers and both countries shared same future.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 03 2022

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