May 11, 2012

The International Committee of Red Cross halted all operations in Karachi and Peshawar in response to the murder of their senior worker Khalil Rasjed Dale last month.

ICRC has practically suspended more than 80 percent of its operations in Pakistan. Only a physical rehabilitation center in "Azad Kashmir" and its main office in Islamabad are functioning in the country.

The ICRC suspended its operations in Baluchistan immediately after the murder of Dale last month.

ICRC spokesperson Anastasia Isyuk told Arab News they need to review and to reassess their present activities in Pakistan.

"We are painfully aware that these measures are having a severe and far-reaching impact on wounded, sick, physically disabled and other vulnerable people," said Paul Castella, the head of the ICRC delegation in Pakistan.

British Aid worker Khalil Rashed Dale was kidnapped in January this year and brutally beheaded by unknown people after their negotiations with ICRC for ransom were failed on April 29 spreading shock waves among Western aid workers in Pakistan in different relief agencies.

Donor agencies from Muslim countries are, however, working smoothly without any trouble.

Abdu Mohammad Atain, country director International Islamic Relief Organization-IIRO told Arab News they would continue to work as usual to help people through relief, rehabilitation and other charity projects.

"We are comfortable in Pakistan as we are in Saudi Arabia and never feel any kind of fear from any side. Quite happy with the cooperation being extended to us by the Pakistani authorities," said Mohammad Atain who is managing several large-scale relief and welfare projects in Pakistan on behalf of IIRO and MWL.

Pakistan Red Crescent Society and IFRC, the sister organizations of ICRC are also not likely to be affected by the ICRC's decision to suspend activities in Pakistan.

"Besides continuing our routine activities, PRCS will soon be launching a project that will envisage construction of 75,000 houses with the donation from UAE and IFRC to help millions of flood victims in Sindh and Punjab," PRCS spokesman Riaz Ahmed told Arab News.

© Arab News 2012