Islamabad, Aug 14: Pakistan today said it would
react to the Indian offer of assistance to deal with the
environmental and other hazards created by the oil spill due
to cracks in the hull of the Greek oil tanker near the Karachi
harbour tomorrow.
Pakistan foreign office spokesman, Masood Khan today
declined to react to the Indian offer of extending technical
assistance to help to deal with the pollution generated by the
leak of large volumes of crude oil in the Karachi coast.
Asked about the Indian offer Khan told reporters here
that he would react formally tomorrow after going through the
details of the offer of assistance.
A letter containing the Indian offer was handed over
to the Pakistan foreign office by the Indian High Commission
officials here today.
"Should the government of Pakistan respond positively,
the government of India would provide immediate cooperation
through its capabilities, equipment and materials, including
pollution response equipment, dispersants, containment booms
etc," an external affairs ministry spokesman told reporters in
New Delhi.
A Greek-registered oil tanker, carrying around 60,000
tonnes of crude oil, cracked and leaking floundered off the
Arabian Sea port of Karachi today.
Bureau Report
