This mistrust is also seen inside Pakistan where people are reluctant to channel their donations through government agencies. Very little money was sent to Prime Minister's Flood Relief Fund while various political parties and charity organizations are providing the relief supplies direct to the victims. Even Pakistanis living abroad, such as in the Arabian Gulf region, Europe and America, are not sending funds through government channels.
Tellingly, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has rejected a proposal by Nawaz Sharif, chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, - the second largest political party of Pakistan - for setting up an independent commission to oversee the utilization of flood aid. Surely, this will further erode trust in the government of Pakistan People's Party led by President Asif Ali Zardari who was pelted with shoes in UK earlier this month to protest his private visit while Pakistan was suffering from devastating floods.
Interestingly, during an interview with Dawn newspaper on Friday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, defended Washington's corrupt-client government of President Zardari by describing corruption as a diversionary side issue. When her attention was drawn to the accusations that corruption is seen as a major reason for the world's reluctance to help Pakistan, She said: "Corruption, unfortunately, has been with us, is with us and always be with us. It must be attacked and it must be rooted out but I don't think it does a service to the people who are suffering to have some diversionary side conversation about corruption."
Flood relief and "war on terror"
Public anger is growing over insufficient relief that highlights potential political troubles for an unpopular government. People are protesting against the government for not providing them shelter, food and medical aid. In many of such protests, last week, angry flood survivors in Sindh province blocked a highway to protest slow delivery of aid.
Pakistan's civilian government has supplied comparatively little aid, relying instead on the military's rescue operations. Private charities, including religious organizations, have moved swiftly to fill the vacuum left by a government. These charities have played a major role in helping the millions of flood victims which is making those victims resentful against the government.
With fueling anger among the flood victims the unpopular government has announced to crack down on the charities with alleged links to banned militant groups, insisting that they must not be allowed to distribute aid to flood victims.
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