November 8, 2002	Friday	Ramazan 2,1423

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GILGIT, Nov 7: The leaders of various political and social organizations of the Diamer district have asked the people of the Northern Areas to contribute to the relief funds for the rehabilitation of the quake-affected people of Tatupani, Mathaut and Raikot villages.

Eleven people were killed and 62 were injured whereas the quake and the tremors last week had left more than 3000 people homeless.

Talking to journalists on Thursday, PML-N district chief Bashir Ahmed and former PPP district president Rahmat Nabi asked the government to increase the relief grant from Rs10 million to Rs50 million as the quake had caused more damage than the officials had reported.

They also demanded compensations for the quake victims as well as for the injured. They said that large number of cattle were also killed which were a source of livelihood for the people of the area.

They said that the KKH at Tatupani area remained under constant threat of quakes and floods. They suggested an alternative route to the KKH via Gauherabad by constructing an RCC bridge to avoid the frequent blockades at the Tatupani area.

The leaders appealed to the government for initiating and intensifying the rehabilitation of the marooned people to save the people from the chill and urged the government to declare Diamer as calamity-hit area.

They were all praise for the Commander of FCNA, Maj Gen Nadeem Ahmed, and the army personnel for saving precious lives through prompt rescue operations in the affected areas.

The APP quoted the ISPR as saying that a relief camp had been established for the quake-affected people near Jaglot about 50 km from Gilgit, where around 2000 people had been shifted.