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Pakistan PM Praises Army Relief Role, to Form Aid Supervisory Body

Posted on: Thursday, 13 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

Text of report by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency

Peshawar, 13 October: Relief and rescue operations are the foremost priorities of the government in the earthquake-hit areas of Azad [Pakistan-administered] Kashmir, Hazara, Shangla and Kohistan for which all resources have been mobilized, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Thursday [13 October]. Addressing a news conference here the prime minister said that the spirit demonstrated by the entire nation in the rescue and help to the quake victims was unprecedented in the history of the country. For this the nation deserves all praise, he said.

The whole nation from Karachi to Khyber is united in this hour of national tragedy, he added. The general public did not hesitate in donating with open heart whatever they could. "Women donated their ornaments for the relief of the victims," he maintained. Referring to the most needed items, the prime minister said: "We need financial assistance, tents, blankets as there is severe cold in these areas, medicines and equipment that could help remove the rubble."

He said Germany, United States and Afghanistan have sent helicopters while choppers are also coming from Japan. The US secretary of state has promised more helicopters for help during her visit to Pakistan on Wednesday. Prime Minister Aziz appealed to the world community to come forward and help the Pakistani nation in their hour of trouble.

He said since all infrastructures had been ruined in the affected region and that was why it took some time to gear up rescue work. The prime minister Said that the federal government has decided to raise tented cities fully equipped with schools, hospitals and markets where edibles are provided to the people. However, the government desires to construct model cities on the sites that were destroyed. In this connection cooperation of the local people is required because they are the land owners, he said. The prime minister put the latest casualty toll at 25,000 dead which may go up. He said orphans and women were being given separate secure places.

Azad Kashmir and NWFP [Northwest Frontier Province] are the most affected areas where army jawans [soldiers] have been deployed in large number who are engaged in relief operation and evacuation of the stranded people, he said. One army division has moved from Gujranwala to Mansehra to take part in the rescue operation. Shaukat Aziz praised the excellent services rendered by the Pak[istan] army in streamlining relief activities. The Pak army and foreign volunteers have established a field hospital at Mansehra, he said. He said helicopters had been ferrying relief supplies and as such more choppers were required.

The prime minister told a questioner that to streamline the relief activities, a federal relief commissioner has already been appointed. The federal, NWFP and Azad Kashmir governments, the World Bank and UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] have started assessing the earthquake damages and soon after this assessment is completed, the actual figures would be made public. When asked about the total amount so far sent by foreign donors and countries, the prime minister said that 300m dollars have come while, donations to the president's relief fund so far amount to over one billion rupees.

He said to utilize the funds in a proper manner, a supervisory committee consisting of representatives of all provinces, would be constituted to monitor the process and an auditor will properly check the record. In reply to a question, the prime minister said that all routes have been made safe for transportation of relief goods to the affected areas. Earlier, the prime minister attended a meeting of the provincial cabinet and discussed the rehabilitation task that lies ahead.

Source: BBC Monitoring South Asia

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