After experiencing major devastation and loss of life in the April 25 earthquake, Nepal was left with an unsavoury taste in its mouth after receiving packets of ‘beef masala’ as part of the relief package from Pakistan.

Since the majority-Hindu country treats cows as sacred and there is a blanket ban on slaughtering the animal, the development has the potential to trigger diplomatic acrimony between the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) member countries.

Indian doctors at Kathmandu’s Bir Hospital told Mail Today that packets of ‘beef masala’ were sent by Pakistan on Tuesday as part of relief aid to the temblor survivors. These doctors – drawn from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) — are members of a 34-member medical team sent to Nepal for treating the survivors.

“When we reached the airport to collect the food items from Pakistan, we found packets of ready-to-eat meals, including packets of ‘beef masala’. There were other food items too,” Dr Balwinder Singh told Mail Today.

Perplexed, the doctors chose to have food from a hotel instead.

“We did not touch the Pakistani aid,” Dr Singh said. “Most of the local people are not aware of the contents. When they understand, they avoid it,” said another doctor on the condition of anonymity.

He added: “Pakistan has hurt Nepal’s religious sentiments by supplying the masala. Shockingly, it did not care about the sensitivity of the matter.”

Pakistani soldiers load relief supplies for Nepal

Exclusive photographs of the ‘beef masala’ packets supplied to Nepal are with Mail Today. These pictures clearly show that the place of origin of these packets was Nowshera Cantt in Pakistan. These packets also prominently mention that these are not for sale and the contents include ‘potato bhujia’ and ‘beef masala’.

A top Nepal government official said: “The matter has been conveyed to Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and the intelligence chief. We are also starting an internal inquiry to verify the facts. If the report is correct, we will raise the matter at the diplomatic level with Pakistan. India, being our key partner, will also be informed of the developments.”

Tasneem Aslam, spokesperson for Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs, told Mail Today: “I am not aware of the issue…I am not responsible for the dispatch. The relief aid is sent by the National Disaster Management Authority.”

Nepalese soldiers stand next to wrecked buildings at Durbar Square

A press note uploaded on the website of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Pakistan (http://www.ndma.gov.pk/new/), states: “(The) National Disaster Management Authority has dispatched the second of two sorties of C-130 aircrafts on April 28 in collaboration with Pakistan Army, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan Air Force. The relief goods include 250 tents, 200 food packs (2.6 tonne), 1,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), 1,000 blankets and 33 cartons of medicines. These relief goods have been provided from NDMA stocks….”

Despite repeated attempts, the officials of the Pakistan NDMA could not be contacted. The food items have been manufactured by PANA Force Foods. The consignment was supplied after receiving orders from Pakistan’s NDMA.

“PANA Force food processing centre aims at providing quality goods at affordable prices. Currently, the company is supplying two brands of products to Pakistan Army commonly known as Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) and Emergency Pack Ration (EP Ration or high-energy biscuits) whereas a plant for the production of dehydrated vegetables and fruits is under construction,” the official website of PANA Force Foods mentions.

The website also states that the processing centre provides food to civil population during natural calamities, like earthquakes and floods.

According to Hindu belief, eating beef is a religious offence since the cow is a sacred animal and treated on a par with one’s mother. In Nepal — for long the world’s only Hindu state — the first royal order officially prohibiting cow slaughter stated that the punishments for the crime were death and confiscation of all property of the offender.

The first Civil Code of Nepal, the Muluki Ain of 1854, stated: “This kingdom is the only kingdom in the world where cows, women, and Brahmins may not be killed.”

It trumpeted Nepal as the ‘purest Hindu kingdom’ and simultaneously signaled to Nepalese citizens that Hindu religious creeds would be the law of the land. But an amendment in 1990 to the Civil Code made cow slaughter punishable by 12 years in prison.

Delhi High Court raises alarm over illegal buildings

By Mail Today in New Delhi

Municipal authorities in Delhi received a rap from the Delhi High Court on Wednesday over the numerous illegal buildings across the city.

Days after the killer earthquake in Nepal, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday said unauthorised constructions and colonies in the city are disasters waiting to happen.

A bench of Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva observed that if an earthquake hits Delhi like the one in Nepal, all the unauthorised buildings constructed without following regulations, will crumble. It also said each government has been extending the date till which illegal constructions are protected from punitive action as it is looking for votes.

“If people die, then who will vote?” the court asked.

“They are disasters waiting to happen. Are you (municipal corporations) taking strict action? Are you coming out with an action plan?” the bench questioned while hearing a batch of petitions on unauthorised constructions in the city.

In response, the civic agency said it was coming out with an action plan. The court, thereafter, said it will take up the matter of seismic viability of structures in the national Capital in some other appropriate matter.

UK aid team in security breach at Delhi airport

By Ankur Sharma in New Delhi

It has come to light that a rescue team which arrived from the United Kingdom on Monday for operations in earthquake-hit Nepal, violated the safety norms of the Delhi IGI Airport.

The team allegedly waited in front of an aircraft at the ‘apron area’ of the airport for about six hours before they could fly to Kathmandu.

According to the members of the British rescue team, after waiting for all those hours, they were accommodated in a flight of the Spanish Air Force.

Members of the British rescue team headed to Nepal posted photos of themselves waiting at IGI Airport on Twitter

According to a senior civil aviation official, it was a case of gross violation of safety rules.

The DGCA can take action against the agencies that were responsible for the violation.

“DGCA had earlier punished various airlines for committing such a violation. This particular British team had dogs with them and they were in front of the aircraft for six hours. It’s scary,” a senior DGCA official said after seeing the photographs of the group that were posted by a rescue team member on Twitter.

An immigration official said the British group comprised 15-20 personnel from the UK Fire and Rescue team. They reached Delhi IGI Airport around 5.30pm on Monday. But due to weather and other clearance issues, they were asked to wait at the airport.

“The team didn’t have proper clearances. India keeps a watch on every unit and aircraft flying to Kathmandu through Delhi. Airport officials asked them to wait but instead of going to the terminal building, these rescue team members waited in front of the nosewheel of an aircraft,” a senior airport official told Mail Today.

Later, when the Indian agencies told them that the weather in Kathmandu was not favourable and it was packed with aircraft, the British rescue team members arranged their materials on their own, the official said.

After almost an hour they managed to convince the Spanish Air Force officials, who agreed to fly these British rescue team members to Kathmandu.

“Even then, the rescue team members didn’t go inside the airport. No security official asked them to move from there. They remained there for more than three hours,” a senior immigration official said.

“They had equipment which needed to be checked by various agencies. Also, they didn’t take proper permission due to which they were asked to wait. But, they ignored all security rules and stayed there in front of an aircraft,” a senior airport official said.

According to a senior official of the ministry of civil aviation: “No one is allowed to wait in front of an aircraft. Even the passengers are not allowed to put their baggage near to the plane.”