Pakistan has appreciated the initiative of United States President George W Bush on the South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund, saying it would galvanise a nation-wide philanthropic effort in support of the disaster victims.
The fund is expected to mobilise the private sector for relief and reconstruction.
"This really galvanises a nation-wide philanthropic effort to support the disaster in Pakistan. And it is a disaster, which is still playing out. We are doing what we can. We are getting a lot of international help," the Ambassador of Pakistan in Washington Jehangir Karamat said after a White House event featuring Bush and the assessment of earthquake efforts in South Asia.
"But I think I must mention here that the US has really come in very strongly with the military, immediate relief, monetary support, and now this initiative tops it all in the sense that it really is going to do a great job for us and we are very grateful to the president for this initiative and very grateful to the chief executives who are going to take out time to work on this," Karamat added.
CEO of Pfizer Hank McKinnel said the Indian government has not requested for international relief.
"But, from our private sector initiative standpoint, we will be raising funds and providing necessary products and know-how to both India and Pakistan. The needs are far greater in Pakistan simply because that's where most people lived who were affected by this earthquake," he said.