Militants may exploit flood-affected children: Zardari

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and a top US senator have warned that militants may exploit orphans and children of flood-affected people for their terror activities.

“We are giving them everything we’ve got. There is a possibility that some negative forces would exploit this situation. For example, militants can take orphaned babies and put them in terror training camps,” the president said at a joint press conference with US Senator John Kerry Thursday after visiting flood-affected areas of Multan and Jampur.

Zardari urged the international community to help Pakistan in its hour of need so that the affected families could be enabled to stand on their own feet and not to fall prey to terrorist organisations, Dawn News reported Friday.

“We need to address that, all of us, rapidly, to avoid their impatience boiling over or people exploiting that impatience,” he said.

He said the world must act swiftly to stop militants from exploiting the country’s devastating floods and to prevent social unrest.

“I am sending an SOS on that. All such catastrophes give strength to those forces which do not want a state structure,” he said.

Responding to the fears expressed by the president, Senator Kerry said: “None of us wants to see this crisis provide an opportunity or an excuse for people who want to exploit the misfortune of others for political or ideological purposes.

“It is important for all of us to work overtime to provide the assistance that is necessary… I know that President Obama is determined to do that,” Kerry said.

Replying to a question, Zardari said: “I am not the government, I am the governance. But I assure you that the funds will be distributed in a transparent manner.”

The president was of the view that some undemocratic forces were maligning the government with their false propaganda about possibilities of corruption in utilisation of funds.

“There have been allegations against the government but they are malicious and baseless as always, aimed only at weakening the democracy,” he said.