ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has on Thursday dispatched a shipment of rice for the drought affected areas of Sri Lanka.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued the directive to provide all necessary assistance to the government and people of Sri Lanka in the wake of severe drought in the country.
The procedure to dispatch 10,000 metric tonnes of rice through containerised shipments has been initiated. The first shipment would depart from Pakistan on March 30 (today) and will reach Sri Lanka on April 3.
Pakistan has already dispatched twenty-five metric tonnes rice to Colombo February 8 through Pakistan Air Force aircraft as immediate short term assistance.
Foreign Office spokesman, in a statement, said that Pakistan stands with the brotherly nation of Sri Lanka in this hour of need and will continue to provide all possible support to them.
