Taliban militants urge government to refuse US aid

The US has stepped up its aid provisions for survivors of the floods, but Pakistani Taliban militants have told the government that the aid would be tapped by corrupt officials.

Over 1,600 people have perished in the floods, considered to be the worst in 80 years, with 2 million people forced out of their homes and the lives of another 14 million interrupted, approximately 8% of the population.

On the provision of Western aid to the worst affected northwestern province, Taliban spokesperson Azam Tariq said "The government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the centre are desperate to get it, not for the people affected but to make their bank accounts bigger.”

The United Nations says the disaster is due to cost the country billions of dollars to rehabilitate the victims and rebuild infrastructure, in the worst floods to ever hit the country. Heavy monsoon rain flooded the Indus river basin, affecting activity from the northern mountains to the plains of the southern Sindh province.

Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari returned to his country on Tuesday after being away on foreign visits while the disaster was unfolding. Zardari and his government have come under attack for failing to act quickly in response to the disaster.

Pakistan’s military has taken the responsibility of leading relief efforts, strengthening civilians’ faith in the ability of the country’s armed forces.

There is concern that Islamist charities with links to militant groups have been seeking to fill the gap left by what many see as the inadequate response by Pakistani authorities.

The US have pledged a total of $55 million in aid for relief efforts, combined with US military helicopters that have been airlifting survivors trapped by the floods.