Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by choosing the correct/most appropriate options:
A humanitarian act can also be part of smart diplomacy, and India ought to make a distinction between the government and the people. Pakistan is facing a severe crisis that is unprecedented. A third of its territory is underwater, the death toll has crossed 1,400, and over 33 million people are suffering from the disruption caused by the flood. Two million acres of farmland are under water; 5,735 kilometers of transport links and 1.6 million houses have been washed away, while 7,50,000 heads of livestock have been lost. According to the World Health Organization, 6.4 million people need support, while 16 million children are in distress with 3.4 million of them needing ‘life-saving’ support, according to UNICEF. Water-borne diseases are spreading. The crisis, in retrospect, began on June 14, 2022. Sind and Balochistan experienced 784% and 500% more rain, respectively, according to Sherry Rehman, Minister of Climate Change. The Pakistani government failed to act promptly, and political leaders have not bothered to call for a ceasefire to their quarrels that prevent the government and society from giving their undivided attention to the catastrophe.
On August 26, 2022, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif cut short his visit to Qatar and met with international organizations and a few governments including those of China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. An amount of $500 million was pledged, with the World Bank giving $350 million and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), $110 million.
The obvious question is about what India has done and should have done. On August 29, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: ‘Saddened to see the devastation caused _______ the floods in Pakistan. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the injured, and all those affected by this natural calamity and hope for an early restoration of normalcy.’ The Indian media has reported that the matter of sending aid to Pakistan has been under discussion and that Pakistan has not asked for help so far. The day Mr. Modi tweeted, Miftah Ismail, the Finance Minister of Pakistan, told the media that the government was thinking of re-opening road traffic with India. Till now, Pakistan has not declared its decision on the matter.