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PR. No. 264/2009

Date: 07/07/2009   

UN UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL CALLS ON FOREIGN MINISTER

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi received today UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Sir John Holmes who is visiting Pakistan to assess relief assistance requirements to over 2 million dislocated people from Swat and adjoining areas.

Appreciating the humanitarian work being done by the UN Agencies, the Foreign Minister underlined the need for stepping up our collective efforts towards providing every possible relief assistance to the dislocated people. The Foreign Minister said it was necessary to also focus on the return and rehabilitation of the dislocated population.

The Foreign Minister said that the democratic Government of Pakistan, after having succeeded to build a national consensus against the militants, was determined to extirpate terrorism and violent extremism.  The people of Pakistan were fully behind the Government. It was now incumbent upon the Government to meet their expectations. The Foreign Minister emphasized that winning the hearts and minds was equally important to succeed against terrorism.

The UN Under Secretary General thanked the Foreign Minister for the cooperation being extended by the Government of Pakistan in UN relief operations.  He informed the Foreign Minister that out of US$ 543 million appealed by the UN Secretary General for the relief of dislocated persons, US$ 223 million had been received and utilized.  He also commended the generous spirit of the host communities of the adjoining areas who had been at the forefront of relief work. He assured the Foreign Minister of UN's full support in the long-term development of the affected areas.

Islamabad

7 July 2009