ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is dispatching three planes, loaded with Covid-related relief goods, to the Republic of Iraq on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said the first plane has been dispatched on Saturday in presence of the chairman of National Disaster Management Authority, senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ambassador of Iraq to Pakistan, and the next two consignments will be sent in the coming week.
He said that Pakistan and Iraq have long-standing fraternal ties, rooted firmly in shared faith and values. He said that the two countries have multifaceted relationships, marked by regular high-level exchanges and growing cooperation in diverse fields.
The Foreign Office spokesperson said that Covid-19 pandemic is a global challenge, which can only be contained with international solidarity and cooperation. The government and people of Pakistan stand by their Iraqi brethren in this difficult time.
Last year, Pakistan had sent medical supplies to Syria to support its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The supplies were delivered on a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing-777 aircraft. The National Disaster Management Authority in a statement had said the shipment sent to Damascus includes medical equipment, 250,000 masks, thousands of protective gears and other health items.
Nothing can be more ridiculous in the world than this. Pakistan, which has not yet ordered vaccines for its own people and is dependent on the WHO’s COVAX program for the vaccine, is talking about supporting Iraq. They themselves are asking for loans to buy vaccines for their people and are talking about giving aid to Iraq. Well, before giving aid to Iraq, Pakistan’s ‘State Department’ spokesperson should tell that from which country he is taking the new loan to unload Pakistan’s debt. Or is this just another attempt to fool the innocent people of Pakistan.