Pak wants US to expedite disbursement of pledged aid

Islamabad, Sept 18 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has expressed hope that the United States would speed up the release of aid pledged under the Kerry Lugar bill and make payments of the Coalition Support Fund which were long overdue.

He was talking to US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, who called on him along with a delegation at the Prime Minister's House, the Daily Times reports.

Assuring Holbrooke of transparency and accountability in the distribution of flood aid, Gilani informed him that the National Oversight Disaster Management Council (NODMC) had been constituted to ensure judicious utilisation of foreign assistance for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the flood-affected areas.

The prime minister also appreciated the expected US announcement of a comprehensive package for the rehabilitation and reconstruction phases at the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) ministerial meeting in Brussels next month.

The US House of Representatives has already approved a resolution, by a vote of 396 to 2, approving relief aid and expressing solidarity with flood-hit Pakistan.

The US government had provided 260 million dollars in emergency humanitarian aid- including halaal meals, pre-fabricated steel bridges and other infrastructure for the Asian nation, according to the White House last week.(ANI)