WHILE Pakistan continues to reel under the impact of fresh waves of terrorism, unprecedented deluge, an acute economic crunch, Pakistan’s all weather friend China, which is itself beset by natural calamities like drought in some regions and mudslides in others, has not forgotten to come to the aid of its friend P in its moment of distress. Pakistan is currently facing the worst natural calamity of its 63 years history, in which over 17.2 million have been displaced and crops, property, cattle and infrastructure worth tens of billions of dollars have been destroyed. The flood affected people of Pakistan require food, shelter and medicines. China, which has always stood by Pakistan in its hour of distress, has sent relief to Pakistan by land air and sea. In its latest gesture, 3,189.67 tons of China’s emergency humanitarian relief goods on 101 trucks including 4 oil tankers designated for the landslide and flood affected people in the upper Hunza area has reached Sust Dry Port in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan on September 1, 2010.
The supplies worth RMB 20 million include 1850 tons of wheat flour, 737 tons of rice, 90 tons of milk powder, 30 tons of table salt, 193.32 tons of cooking oil, 180 tons of sugar, 83.35 tons of diesel, 20 tons of petrol, and 6 tons of medicine. The humanitarian aid was dispatched from Kashgar of China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Sust Dry Port via the Khunjerab Pass by land. This is part of a RMB 130 million (20 million US dollars) emergency humanitarian aid China offered to its brotherly neighbour in light of the mega floods. China also sent a 55-member medical team to the worst-hit district Thatta in Sindh province where it has set up a field hospital and provided treatment to about 3,000 flood victims. Assisted by local authorities, the 55-member China International Search and Rescue Team has set up field hospital at Thatta in Sindh province and already provided timely and adequate treatment to more than 600 flood victims. The Chinese doctors, mostly female, are mainly experienced dermatologists, gynecologists and gastrointestinal disease experts who are badly needed by the local patients. The special gesture of dispatching female doctors, catering for the sensitivities of female patients is not lost on Pakistan. China’s relief efforts need to be lauded as it is always the truest and good friend of Pakistan and that the Pakistan-China friendship will last forever. The Chinese team arrived in Islamabad on August 26 along with 25 tons of high-tech medical equipments and medicine and was immediately transferred to Thatta. China is the first to provide aid when Pakistan was hit by the floods. It is also the first foreign country to have sent a relief team to the worst flood-hit district Thatta in South Pakistan. In addition, the Chinese government also offered relief goods valued at 20 million US dollars. The Daily Mail has witnessed that other nations have also helped Pakistan in its hour of need but the Chinese have done so without fanfare. Just like the defence and strategic support China has provided to Pakistan over the decades, which have been devoid of strings or conditions, have continued to help develop Pakistan’s infrastructure. Similarly its humanitarian support is also meant to come to the aid of the suffering masses and not score brownie points or have a political angle to it. As Pakistan’s elders used to claim that the friendship between China and Pakistan is higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the Indian Ocean, indeed Pak-China friendship has withstood the test of time.
