Pakistani PM cancels U.S. visit over floods

Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani canceled his visit to the United States over floods, which had affected over five million people in southern parts of the country, the Prime Minister's office said Friday. The Prime Minister was scheduled to leave for New York next week to represent Pakistan in the United Nations General Assembly' s (UNGA) session and to meet senior U.S. officials. "Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has called off his visit to New York to address United Nation General Assembly due to epidemic situation because of heavy rains and floods in Sindh province," a statement from the PM office said. The Prime Minister had nominated Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to lead the Pakistani delegation in the 66th Session of the UNGA, the statement said. The Foreign Minister would be in New York from Sept. 17-27, the Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said. She would also lobby for Pakistan's running for a seat on the UNSC election to be held in October, and she would also meet a large number of her counterparts on the sidelines of the UNGA, the spokesperson said. On Sept. 18, the Foreign Minister would meet the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, when there would be an opportunity to discuss all issues, said the FM. The FM also added she would take this opportunity for an outreach for international assistance to respond to the devastation caused by the floods. Pakistani President and Prime Minister have already launched appeal for international assistance for the millions of flood- affected people. Officials said over 200 people have died in flood-related incidents while heavy monsoon rains and floods destroyed houses and swept away standing crops on millions of acres of land in southern Sindh province. Several countries including China, Iran, Japan and the United States have announced assistance for the flood-affected people in Pakistan.