Pakistan has redirected 550 million rupees from its Asian Development Bank grant (BAD) to grant flood relief to Turkey and Syria, a decision that was disclosed during a meeting of the public accounts (CAP) reported.
The listeners revealed that the elements of the emergency of the floods worth 552.6 million rupees were sent from the BAD subsidy. The member of the Omar Ayub committee expressed his concerns, saying: “We act as benefactors, but this money was a grant for us.” He added that the BAD had provided the subsidy to Pakistan, not to use for charity.
Responding to criticism, President of the President Inmam Haider Malik of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that the BAD subsidy had been initially allocated to flood victims in Pakistan. He explained that the aid sent to Turkey and Syria came from the available stock, declaring: “We have always helped our friendly nations if necessary.”
Shazia Marri, another member of the Committee, admitted that helping friendly nations during difficult times were laudable, but asked why Pakistan used their help funds to help others. “The real problem is that you use help to help other countries,” she said.
The president of PAC pointed out: “You can use your own money as you see fit, but was it just to send help from money that was not even yours?” In response, the president of the NDMA assured the committee that the BAD subsidy had been returned to Pakistan.
The CAP asked for a full report on the NDMA issue in a month.
