Edhi declines Indian PM Modi's donation

Published October 27, 2015
Modi on Monday announced the contribution to the charity after the return of hearing and speech impaired girl Geeta to India─AFP/File
Modi on Monday announced the contribution to the charity after the return of hearing and speech impaired girl Geeta to India─AFP/File

KARACHI: Celebrated humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi on Tuesday declined the offer of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to donate 10 million Indian rupees to his charity.

"Abdul Sattar Edhi has thanked Mr Modi and politely declined to accept his announced financial help," Edhi Foundation Spokesman Anwar Kazmi said.

Kazmi said Mr Edhi's son, Faisal Edhi, will be addressing a press conference in this regard at 4:30pm at Karachi Press Club.

Modi on Monday announced the contribution to the charity after the return of hearing and speech impaired girl Geeta to India.

“What the Edhi family has done is too priceless to be measured but I am happy to announce a contribution of Rs10 million for their foundation,” Modi tweeted on Monday.

Related: Grateful over Geeta's return, Modi donates INR10m to Edhi Foundation

Found on a train that had crossed the border from India into the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, Geeta remained in Pakistan under the care of the country's largest welfare organisation, the Edhi Foundation in Karachi for more than a decade.

After identifying a family as her own through a picture sent by Indian officials, Geeta finally returned to India on Monday with Mr Edhi's wife Bilquis Edhi.

But in a tragic twist, just hours after arriving in Delhi, she told officials she did not know the family.

Tweet from Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman's page

India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj vowed to find her parents after a DNA test.

Relations between the Pakistan and India are at their lowest ebbs with allegations of ceasefire violations and involvement in terrorism from both sides.

Planned talks between national security advisers from India and Pakistan were canceled in August hours before they were due to start, dashing hopes the two might tackle the violence that many fear could one day spark a nuclear showdown.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his speech at the 70th session of UN General Assembly earlier this month, presented a four point peace initiative to resolve all issues with India.

But India rejected the peace plan accusing Pakistan of promoting terrorism in the region, Pakistan handed over three dossiers of Indian involvement of terrorism inside Pakistan to UN chief.

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