Pakistan pledges $3m for Saarc Covid fund

Published April 10, 2020
Modi had proposed the fund at the Saarc leader’s virtual summit on March 15. — AFP/File
Modi had proposed the fund at the Saarc leader’s virtual summit on March 15. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday pledged $3 million towards the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation’s (Saarc) Covid-19 Emergency Fund — the brainchild of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The Government of Pakistan has pledged US$ 3 million towards the SAARC Covid-19 Emergency Fund to support regional efforts in the fight against Coronavirus,” the Foreign Office said in a statement after a telephonic conversation between Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and Saarc Secretary General, Esala Ruwan Weerakoon.

PM Modi had proposed the fund at the Saarc leader’s virtual summit on March 15. India pledged $10m for the fund, which was meant to assist the countries in the region to deal with the pandemic. Other pledges include $5m by Sri Lanka, Bangladesh $1.5m, Nepal and Afghanistan $1m each, Maldives $0.2m and Bhutan $0.1m.

Pakistan was the last member state to contribute to the fund, which now has pledges worth $21.8m.

Pakistan announced the pledge a day after it stayed away from another regional initiative proposed by PM Modi under Saarc umbrella — the meeting of the trade officials of the member countries to discuss the impact of the pandemic on intra-regional trade.

Pakistan’s reservations about the fund relating to its administration and utilisation remain unaddressed. Islamabad has been asking for the fund to be placed under Saarc secretary general and that the modalities for its utilisation be negotiated by the member states.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Massacre again
Updated 01 Oct, 2023

Massacre again

If this monster is not vanquished at this stage, it will create a security nightmare of significant proportions.
A refuge no longer
01 Oct, 2023

A refuge no longer

SEPTEMBER has seen an alarming rise in the rounding up and detention of Afghan refugees. Pakistani authorities cite...
Whither justice?
01 Oct, 2023

Whither justice?

THE challenge is to ensure bestial tragedies are remembered. Two cases of femicide, involving men from Pakistan’s...
Moving forward
Updated 29 Sep, 2023

Moving forward

It is hoped that the ECP followed the set rules diligently while demarcating constituency boundaries.
Pipeline in stasis
Updated 30 Sep, 2023

Pipeline in stasis

If finding dollars to fund the scheme is difficult, alternative currencies can be used.
Playing in India
Updated 29 Sep, 2023

Playing in India

WITH visa issues resolved, and after slight alterations in travel plans, Pakistan’s cricket team finally touched...