India pledges $450m aid package to Afghanistan

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a $450-million new aid package to Afghanistan. Dr Singh asserted that New Delhi’s initiative in the reconstruction and development of the war-torn country was part of a larger effort to help the Afghan people in forging a pluralistic and democratic society.

India’s decision to allocate an additional amount of $450 million over and above the existing $750 million to meet the requirements of its ongoing and forthcoming projects in Afghanistan has come on the expected lines.

President Karzai said, ‘It is a moral responsibility as human beings to protect the lives of our women and children, and to prevent the loss of life caused by terrorism by defeating terrorism and by eliminating it completely, and thereby bringing security to our peoples and the world at large.’

[Khaleej Times]