Pakistani Analysts Respond to Indian Flood Aid with Caution

21 August 2010

Pakistanis crowd around a Pakistan Army helicopter during a drop of much needed food supplies to the flood encircled village of Tul in , Sindh Province, southern Pakistan, 20 Aug 2010

Officials with the United Nations in Pakistan announced Saturday that they have received nearly 70 percent of the $460 million aid appeal for the country's flood disaster.

Nearly a month into the flood crisis, this total includes India's recent offer of $5 million to help with the relief effort.

India's permanent representative to the United Nations Hardeep Singh Puri addressed the organization's General Assembly Friday after Pakistan accepted the pledge.

"We are willing to do all that is in our power to assist Pakistan in facing the consequences of floods," said Puri. "We extend our wholehearted support to the government of Pakistan in its efforts for relief and rehabilitation of the adversely affected population."

Aside from the fact that the neighboring nuclear powers have fought three wars, Pakistani analysts say this offer of aid comes at a particularly sensitive time in relations between the two countries.

Within the past two months, there have been several border skirmishes between their armies with some casualties reported on either side.

In July, India's Home Secretary G.K. Pillai accused Pakistan's military intelligence agency of playing a significant role in the planning of 2008's Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. The accusation came a day before Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna visited his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad. Subsequently, the accusation overshadowed the talks.