As Pakistan reels under the impact of the worst floods in its history, leading rights activist Ansar Burney has exhorted the government to accept India's offer of USD five million in aid for the affected people, saying it is not the time "to scratch old wounds".
"This is the first time Indian government has shown a very positive attitude towards Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks and government of
Pakistan should respond positively to the kind gesture of love of the Indian Government for the sake of flood victims and also for the sake of peace in the region," Burney said in a statement.
Burney said the "hypocrite government," President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, on one hand beg with the world for help and accept all donations and on the other hand they are not accepting a donation of "Love and Peace from India".
The Chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust International and former Federal Minister for human rights said a vast area of Pakistan has been
affected by flood and hundreds of thousands of people have been dislocated from their homes.
"This is the time we should get all help we can so as to repatriate these victims of flood to their homes. This is not the time to bring bad
memories from the past or to scratch old wounds," he added.
He said Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna has brought forward a friendly hand by announcing five million dollars in flood aid and
Pakistan should hold this hand with the same friendly spirit.
Last week, Krishna called up his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and offered USD 5 million in aid for flood relief work.
Pakistan, so far, has not accepted the offer while at the same time its leaders have been sending SOS to the international community for more and more aid so as to meet the immediate needs of its millions of flood-affected people.
Nearly one-fifth of Pakistan is now reported to be badly hit by the devastating flood; the worst for the country in 80 years.