Rice charity by Saudi Arabia cause political row in Pakistan
May 12, 2021
Islamabad [Pakistan], May 12 : Days after Imran Khan's visit to Saudi Arabia, rice charity by the kingdom has triggered a political row in Pakistan as people are viewing it as an outcome of what the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has been calling a "highly successful visit."
The announcement of 19,032 bags of rice from a Saudi aid agency came after Pak PM's trip to the kingdom, which caused it to be linked to the visit, Dawn newspaper reported.
Exhibiting their disapproval over the nature and timing of the charity, several users on Twitter and opposition party leaders lashed out at Imran Khan for getting charity from Saudi Arabia.
Opposition leader and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also slammed the government. Bilawal said that Imran Khan achieved nothing except 19,000 bags of rice in charity from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the form of Fitra and Zakat.
"The price of rice bags got in charity is comparatively lesser than the expenses incurred on the tour to the kingdom by Imran Khan along with a couple of dozen of friends and ministers," he said, as quoted by Dawn.
"Imran Khan became the prime minister after 22 years of struggle just to get rice sacks for an atomic power country?" the PPP chairman asked.
Defending the Pakistani government's position, Imran Khan's special aid Tahir Ashrafi said the charity was not new as the poor in Pakistan had been receiving it in the past as well. Ashrafi further said that the decision for this year's distribution had been taken at least a month ago.
Last week, Pakistan Prime Minister held a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Jeddah, where they held wide-ranging talks on bilateral, and international issues.
