The Iraqi Ambassador Dr Rushdis offer to sell LPG and oil to Pakistan at cheap rates should be welcomed. One of the largest oil producing countries in the world, there is no doubt that Iraq can help us cope with our energy shortage. The Ambassador even stated that while they were ready what needed to be done was a nod of assent by the Pakistani government. Indeed Iraq has seen our country ravaged by the worst energy crisis and it rushed to help us out, a sign that it genuinely feels for us as a brotherly Muslim nation. Iraq would probably not make such concessions to everyone and so its offer should not be taken for granted. It also means that Baghdad is serous in strengthening the already existing brotherly bond of friendship between the two countries. Even after years of aggression and endless bloodshed by the Americans along with plundering of its natural resources including oil, Iraq is unfazed and is here to enable us to grapple with the power crunch. The Pakistani government must not hesitate in responding to Mr Rushdis offer. He made this offer while having a conversation with Editor-in-Chief Nawa-i-waqt Group Majid Nizami who assured him that he would take up the issue. The Ambassador discussed plans of requesting for Police Training for Iraqi police through Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif. Our entire country can benefit greatly through supply of oil and LPG at affordable rates and hence it is expected the government would respond promptly as well as thank the Iraqi friends for their generosity. Sadly, the worrying thing is that the PPP-led dispensation has already shown that it cares the least about the energy sector going to dogs. It has wasted precious time in playing its part in completion of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline so much so that there have been instances when the Iranian Ambassador and other officials had to publicly express concern at our governments indifference towards the project. On the other hand, we become more than willing to engage in futile projects like TAPI, which have no hope of easing our woes anytime soon. Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr Asim Hussain who warned that in two years time the energy crisis will assume horrific proportions should accept the Iraqi Ambassadors offer without further waste of time. The situation has already become unbearable. And on the other hand the economy itself is on the brink of disaster owing to terrorism. Under circumstances of the sort, it would amount to putting our heads in the noose if we turn down such offers. The bottom line is that it is always a Muslim country that will come to the rescue of its brotherly nation and not the treacherous West that has its own disastrous agenda of spilling the blood of Muslims and appropriating their resources.