DHAKA: The stranded Pakistanis on Tuesday appealed to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for a tripartite meeting between the representatives of Bangladesh, Pakistan and themselves to find a solution to their problems existing for the last three decades.

"Our appeal is to discuss the issue of stranded Pakistanis when the President General Pervez Musharraf visits here during the Saarc summit in January,' said the leaders of the Stranded Pakistanis General Repatriation Committee at a press conference here.

According to a survey, as many as 2.5 lakh stranded Pakistanis live in 66 camps across the country, said Nasim Khan, chief patron of the committee. He said that the authorities, politicians, bureaucrats and stalwarts of Pakistan were responsible for this crisis.

Nasim said the Red Cross, through the Bangladesh government, started giving relief of about 17 items including wheat, rice, pulse, milk, biscuits and clothing in 1973. But in 1974, the authorities concerned stopped the relief of 16 items except wheat, he said. Unfortunately, the relief of three-kilogram wheat per capita has also been suspended since January 2004.

Addressing the prime minister, he demanded immediate restoration of the relief delivery system. Nasim also appealed to all Saarc heads of states to include the issue in their agenda considering its significance from a humanitarian point of view.