China had provided Pakistan with emergency goods and cash worth near 10 million U.S. dollars as grant for the flood victims and internally displaced persons due to war on terror during this year, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong said on Wednesday.
The signing ceremony of China Aided Emergency Goods for IDPs of North Waziristan tribal region and China Aided Cash for Flood Relief was held at the parliament in Islamabad on Wednesday. Speaker of the National Assembly (the Lower House) of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar also attended the ceremony.
Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador Sun Weidong said China had handed over altogether 4,600 tons of goods, including rice, wheat flour and milk powder and cash worth 10 million U.S. dollars to the government of Pakistan.
Expressing China's sincere wish for the people of Pakistan to overcome all difficulties, Ambassador Sun said "The Chinese Government will pay close attention to the rehabilitation of flood affected areas continuously and is willing to offer further aid."
According to the National Disaster management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan, at least 367 people have been killed and 673 others injured so far in the floods that hit the country in September this year. The rain-triggered floods affected 2.53 million people and damaged 107,102 houses.
Meanwhile, as a result of the military operation against militants that started in June this year in the country's north- western tribal region of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan, more than 1 million people, including women and children displaced from the area.
Minister for Finance Dar said Pakistan and China are known to the world for their all-weather friendship and excellent partnership based on mutual cooperation.
"There has been always assistance from China for Pakistan and we greatly value the sentiments and cooperation of China in the issues of IDPs and floods," said Dar.
On the occasion, Pakistan and China also signed a Letter of Exchange on the China Aided Parliament House Solar Power Plant Project.
In January 2014, a team of Chinese experts visited the Pakistan parliament and performed the feasibility study of the project and now the project of one megawatt energy has entered into the phase of design and construction.
Welcoming Chinese government's cooperation in the project of greener and alternative energy for the parliament, Speaker National Assembly, Sadiq said "This is a great gesture from China and people of Pakistan will feel proud because Pakistan Parliament will be the first House in the world going for green energy."