04 July 2004	Sunday	15 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, July 3: The government is trying to devise a multi-sectoral approach to better manage the situation arising out of the frequent terrorist attacks in Karachi.

This was stated by the governor of Sindh on Saturday in his chief guest's speech at a multi-disciplinary seminar on the issue of major incident planning, which was organized by the Ziauddin Medical University.

Under the government's approach, a deterrent effect was going to be created through the speedy disposal of cases against the perpetrators of terrorist acts. "At present the legal process is unnecessarily too lengthy. We need to improve and streamline this process," said Dr Ishratul Ibad.

He pointed out that 60-odd terrorists were in the custody of the law-enforcement agencies. "But because appeals and other legal requirements are still pending against these people, no punitive steps are possible soon."

He added that the collection of intelligence about the various extremist outfits also was proposed to be improved. A Crisis Management Cell had already been established at the provincial level, whose performance could be improved by the use of Public-Private Partnership initiatives.

The governor said some countries such as Saudi Arabia, which until a few years ago seemed immune to terrorist acts, were now increasingly vulnerable to the same. "This shows that today almost no country in the world can consider itself fully secure."

He promised that he would look into each suggestion that was put forth at the seminar and try to incorporate several of them in the government-formulated strategy.

Earlier, some doctors, a senior police official, a senior bureaucrat, a representative of the corporate sector and a senior journalist deliberated on the possibility of formulating a joint strategy vis-a-vis natural calamities and man-made disasters such as bombings.

In his paper, Prof Rashid Jooma discussed in detail the need for training paramedical staff in dealing with trauma cases involving burn injuries and loss of blood. He was of the opinion that the people who evacuated the injured, namely the ambulance staff, must be trained in fundamentals of trauma care.

However, in the present circumstances it was difficult to put this in practice in Pakistan. The hour following a bombing, for instance, was the most crucial one because up to 30 per cent of the lives were lost during the first four hours after a detonation. And up to 50 per cent of the lives were lost at the onset of the incident.

He suggested that the rangers and police personnel, who were often the first group of people to arrive at a bombing site, should be trained in the fundamentals of trauma care. His suggestion was immediately picked up by the organizers as a practical one. Later, the Ziauddin Medical University offered to train the police and Rangers people in trauma care.

In his speech, Rizwan Edhi said the Edhi Foundation had already embarked on a plan to upgrade its ambulance service. Under this initiative, its fleet of ambulances had been divided into two parts, one meant for taking patients to and from the healthcare centres and the other for dealing with natural or man-made disasters.

He pointed out that 20 ambulances were on standby for these incidents round the clock at each of the many Edhi Centres in Karachi. By August the number of such ambulances would go up to 30.

He announced that in August, the Edhi Emergency Medical Service would be launched under which ambulances equipped with first aid gear, suction pumps, scoop stretchers and oxygen cylinders would be on the ready 24 hours a day. These ambulances will also have trained and qualified paramedical staff.

Muneer Kamal of the Union Bank said the corporate sector was ready to come forward in raising the funds needed to upgrade and improve the emergency wards in the various public and private hospitals of the city. He pointed out that business leaders had in recent years generated more than Rs300 million within 12 months for the Aga Khan University Hospital.

Aslam Sanjrani, the chief secretary of Sindh, proposed that a subcommittee be established which could come up with a detailed plan to deal with mass emergencies in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.

S. Kamal Shah, inspector-general of the Sindh police, said journalists should refrain from stepping inside the cordon because evidence from the crime scene could be instrumental in linking the crime with the criminal.

He declared that in the last two-and-a-half years some 27 major terrorists actions had taken place in Karachi. "And in no fewer than 24 of the cases the perpetrators of these attacks have been identified."

Mr Shah, however, acknowledged that the people behind the assassination of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai were yet to be identified.

Dr Asim Hussein, chancellor of the Ziauddin Medical University, proposed that a central monitoring unit be established to deal with natural and man-made disasters. He offered to train the people from the law-enforcement agencies in basics of trauma management. He also announced that his university would be launching courses in allied disciplines.

Shahid Aziz Siddiqi, vice-chancellor of the university, Dr Abbas Zafar and Prof Younus Soomro also spoke on the occasion.