Pakistan has decided to accept assistance from Israel and the American Jewish community, following Saturday's devastating quake that claimed around 23,000 lives in the country, a media report said.
The decision to accept financial support and equipment from Israel came during a telephone call made on Tuesday from President Pervez Musharraf to Jack Rosen, chairman of the American Jewish Congress-Council for World Jewry, The News reported.
President Musharraf also told Rosen that Pakistan would warmly welcome help from American Jewry, it said. The Pakistani Foreign Office said there has been no direct or specific offer from Israel as there was no diplomatic interaction with the country.
"But then, the United Nations has sent out flash appeal and since Israel is a member of the UN, it may respond to this," the daily quoted the Foreign Office spokesperson as saying.
"The American Jewish Congress are US citizens and if any others want to donate to the President's Relief Fund, then they will be welcome," she said.
"There has been no calls from Tel Aviv but the prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, has said that there are no restrictions on anyone contributing for relief efforts," she clarified.