UK to provide $2.3 billion in development assistance to Pakistan

[News_Editor]

UK to provide $2.3 billion in development assistance to Pakistan

2011-05-31 22:58:38 GMT+7 (ICT)

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- The United Kingdom on Tuesday announced that it will provide £1.4 billion ($2.3 billion) in development assistance to Pakistan, the APP news agency reported.

"The assistance will be utilized for the improvement of education, health and for job creation," Pakistan's Federal Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said after a meeting with the British delegation in Islamabad.

The financial aid will be allocated under the Department for International Development (DFID) for the next four years. The grant will help developing Pakistan's education and health sectors as well as improving economy and strengthening governance.

The UK delegation was headed by British Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, who encouraged Pakistan to continue its reform process for achieving macroeconomic stability and high growth.

"Under the new operational plan 2011-15 for Pakistan, the UK will be providing 1.4 billion pounds as development assistance for poverty reduction, health, education and governance," said Mitchell.

Hafeez Shaikh added that the British funding will represent a significant contribution towards socio-economic development and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

In addition, the United Kingdom vowed to help Pakistani products in accessing the European markets in order to boost economy and trade in the Asian country. The two sides also discussed Pakistan's strategy to promote inclusive economic growth.

Furthermore, Mitchell added that the development cooperation will be enhanced in the future. The Secretary remarked that on this path, Pakistan could become the highest recipient of British assistance by 2015.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said that the Asian country "greatly values its strategic relationship with the United Kingdom and looks forward to further strengthening it."

"The cooperation between both countries in diverse fields is a manifestation of the depth of bilateral relations. The one-million-strong Pakistani community in UK serves as a bridge between the two countries," said Gilani.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-31

[MAJIC]

And there was silly me,believing the UK is Bankrupt!

[johna]

<deleted>

unemployment, NHS on the skids, schools falling apart.

The list goes on and on, and they want to help Pakistan gain access to the EU markets.

[geriatrickid]

The Telegraph advises that there approx. 1million Pakistanis legally in the UK. The Pakistan government estimates that there 1.2 million Pakistanis in the UK.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation a well known and reputable social assistance and advocacy organization released a study in early 2008 based upon its study in 2007 that stated approx. 55% of the Pakistani community lived in poverty. This contrasted with 25% of the Indian ethnic group, 20% White UK ethnic group and 65% for the Bangladeshi ethnic group.

It can be argued that the promotion of economic opportunities in Pakistan will keep the Pakistanis in Pakistan and will also create opportunities for Pakistanis in the UK to sell products and services back to the UK. In effect, an attempt to build economic opportunity.

My personal view is that such an argument is fanciful and is an absolute waste, No doubt that the The UK taxpayers money will be invested well by the Pakistanis, however I expect it will be invested in schools that preach the hatred of the Church of England faithful, bombs, bullets and nukes. It begs the question, <deleted> were they thinking when they made this decision?

[Steely Dan]

Glad to see more rewards for Pakistan shielding Al-Qaeda terrorists and actively aiding and abetting them as they did with the Mumbai massacre. Of course we will be hated for giving aid just as the Americans are and attacks on Christians will continue apace and the archaic blasphemy laws will be used to further persecute minorities.

Yes glad to see the UK has it's priorities right especially as many Pakistanis based in the UK are actively seditious against their host society. The most depressing thing of all is this insanity is coming from the most right wing of the UK's major parties.

[Steely Dan]

Here is yet more evidence there has been agency capture of the Pakistani intelligence service by Al-Qaeda as a journalist who exposed these links has been murdered. The UK had may as well wire any aid money direct to Al-Qaeda.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Missing-Pakistani-journalist-found-dead-in-Punjab/articleshow/8667009.cms?intenttarget=no

[ExpatJ]

This is a waste- we give this money and get nothing in return- heck as a white british citizen you cant even walk the streets even in the cities in Pakistan these days without fear of kidnap or worse. At a minimum he UK/US should demand s dismantling of Pakistans ISI (which seems to be doing more harm than good) and a refocusing of the Pakistan army to fight terror instead of the army wasting money buying heavy equipment to sit on the border of India doing nothing .

My view is its only a matter of time until the democratic government system is overthrown by Islamic extremist groups and the country is turned into a one (Islamic) party state similar to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan pre-9 11.

I should add- i am very supportive of the UK giving lots of aid money in general, to countries that deserve it and am happy that the Conseravtive party have pledged not to cut aid spending- but in the case of aid to Pakistan, this is just wasteful.

Edited June 1, 2011 by ExpatJ

[MAJIC]

This is a waste- we give this money and get nothing in return- heck as a white british citizen you cant even walk the streets even in the cities in Pakistan these days without fear of kidnap or worse. At a minimum he UK/US should demand s dismantling of Pakistans ISI (which seems to be doing more harm than good) and a refocusing of the Pakistan army to fight terror instead of the army wasting money buying heavy equipment to sit on the border of India doing nothing .

My view is its only a matter of time until the democratic government system is overthrown by Islamic extremist groups and the country is turned into a one (Islamic) party state similar to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan pre-9 11.

I should add- i am very supportive of the UK giving lots of aid money in general, to countries that deserve it and am happy that the Conseravtive party have pledged not to cut aid spending- but in the case of aid to Pakistan, this is just wasteful.

Misusing the Peoples Money in this manner,considering the Cutbacks,the British People are enduring, is not just Wasteful its Gross Abuse of the Peoples Money.

Or is this the Payoff to India for finally producing "Bin Laden"?