02 January 2005	Sunday	20 Ziqa'ad 1425

KARACHI, Jan 1: The consul general of Sri Lanka in Karachi, Ms Manil D'Silwa, on Saturday thanked the Pakistan government, citizens and welfare organizations for setting up relief camps, funds, collecting donations and supporting the tsunami-hit people facing hardships.

Speaking at a ceremony to receive first tranche of relief goods collected by the Al-Khidmat Welfare Society in the city, she said relief goods and donations from here would boost the morale of Sri Lankan people, and help them in restarting their lives.

The Jamat-i-Islami's city chief and secretary general of the society, DR Tabassum Jaffri, in their speeches termed the deaths and destruction of basic infrastructure in Sri Lanka by tsunami a great tragedy, and said the natural calamity saddened the people of Pakistan, especially the Karachiites.

On the occasion, they appealed to the people to submit their donations, medicines, blankets and cash at the office of the society, so that these could be dispatched to Sri Lanka and other tsunami-hit countries.

Earlier, the first tranche of relief goods comprising 100,000 packets of antibiotic medicines, 2,000 meters cloth, 2,000 blankets and warm sheets, towels, surgical equipment and other medicines were handed over to the Sri Lankan envoy.

MNA Muhammad Hussain Mehnti, MPAs Nasarullah Shajee, Younus Barai, Al-Khidmat officials Muzaffar Hashmi, Mehmood Ahmed and others were also present on the occasion.-PPI