America Could Have Helped Pakistan, But Didn't

It is the militants that the world is worried about. Weeks into the devastating floods that hit so many parts of Pakistan, the international media concentrated on one aspect of the issue: what this would do to Islamic militancy and the Taliban.

Major newspapers and media outlets like the Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, the BBC and the New York Times all angled their news coverage on how militant organisations were beating the Government of Pakistan and foreign aid agencies in rescuing victims and providing for survivors. On Aug 10, the Los Angeles Times ran a story that focused on the humanitarian activities of Falah-i-Insaniat, the welfare wing of the banned group Jamaatud Dawa, highlighting how the group was front and centre in providing services, an act that could easily translate into a recruitment tool for further militancy.