Pak in denial after row over ‘beef aid’ to Nepal

A controversy erupted in Nepal, already ravaged by earthquake, over reports of ‘beef masala’ sent by Pakistan as part of the relief material. According to a report in Daily Mail, Pakistan sent beef meat as a part of its relief material to Nepal with majority Hindu population which considers cows as sacred.

However, after the reports stroke a controversy with doctors ‘ not touching the aid from Pakistan’, the country on Thursday said that no ‘beef masala’ was sent to Nepal.

A foreign office spokesperson from Pakistan said that there was no beef content in the ready-to-eat food dispatched by Pakistan to Nepal.

According to the Daily Mail report, Indian doctors at Kathmandu’s Bir Hospital said that packets of ‘beef masala’ were sent by Pakistan on Tuesday as part of relief aid.

Reacting to this, Pakistan urged India “not to malign its humanitarian efforts to help Nepal.”

Foreign office spokesperson Ms Aslam said the people of Nepal really liked the food dispatched by Pakistan and even requested for more.

Meanwhile, the reports created a major uproar on social media with people criticising Pakistan. Several people also posted comments that were communally charged asking Pak authorities “how would they have felt had any nation sent pork as part of the food material after such a tragedy.”

“Pakistan has Nepal's religious hurt senti- ments by supplying the masala. Shockingly, it did not care about the sensitivity of the matter,” an Indian doctor was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

In India, the VHP raised strong objections to the reports of beef sent to Nepal.

In a statement, VHP’s Delhi unit general secretary Ramkrishan Srivastav said by doing so Pakistan has hurt the religious sentiments of the people of Nepal, which has banned cow slaughter and consumption of beef.

It also condemned Pakistan’s behaviour and said it should have taken care of the religious sentiments of the people.