January 2, 2003	Thursday	Shawwal 28, 1423

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GILGIT, Jan 1: A crisis management centre recently set up in Gilgit has started functioning.

This was stated by Northern Areas Legislative Council Speaker Sahib Khan at a Press conference on Wednesday.

Mr Khan said that like other parts of the country this centre would work to face natural disasters like floods, forest fires and earthquakes in the region.

He also said that a warehouse was being built to store relief goods that would help in initiating a prompt action.

The Speaker told reporters that an inspection team headed by the Northern Areas’ Chief Executive would monitor the activities of the centre and it would seek funds and grants from the federal government.

Mr Khan said they would submit a proposal to the prime minister during his forthcoming visit to the Northern Areas for the permanent rehabilitation of the quake refugees in Astore and Raikot areas as the refugees could no longer stay in the makeshift camps permanently.

He said the rehabilitation plan needed massive funds and demanded of the federal government to provide these funds so that the refugees could be provided permanent homes.

Mr Khan said that the quake-affected areas had been divided into nine sub-zones based on the damage assessment surveys.

Mr Khan said that there was no alternative route to the quake-battered Astore road and, therefore, the people of the area wanted bulldozers and other heavy machinery to clear the landslides caused by continuous jolts.

Mr Khan thanked various non-governmental organizations, Zakat Committee of Balochistan and AJK governments for giving funds to Northern Areas. Members of Northern Areas’ Legislative Council Mehboob Ali and Wazir Beg also addressed the press conference, and said that due to extreme cold at least five refugees had died in the Astore valley.

RECRUITMENT ORDER: Under the Police Reforms Act, at least 219 policemen would be recruited in the Northern Areas police shortly, Superintendent of Police Gilgit, Hanif Khan, told journalists on Wednesday.

He said 61 vehicles had been acquired by the Northern Areas’ police to improve the performance of department.