PESHAWAR: Slow pace of relief work criticized: NWFP assembly appeals for aid
By Our Correspondent
PESHAWAR, Oct 10: The NWFP Assembly has expressed concern over the slow pace of rescue operation in earthquake-hit areas and appealed to the world community to send maximum rescue teams and relief goods and help save people trapped under the rubble and those waiting for medicines, food and shelter.
Most of the lawmakers criticized the Peshawar corps commander’s remarks about the media exaggerating the death toll and said the statement had hurt the feelings of the NWFP people.
They shared a sense of shock over the slack relief operations and said it was clear that both the provincial and federal governments had conflicting claims about relief operations in quake-affected areas.
Some of the members also criticised the much-trumpeted army rescue operations and said the situation demanded that army personnel airdrop paratroopers in inaccessible areas so that people lying under debris could be rescued.
Addressing the house, senior provincial minister, Sirajul Haq, confessed that at the moment both the provincial and federal governments had been unable to reach the far-flung areas. At the same time, he told the house that reportedly 95 per cent of Balakot area had been totally destroyed, while more than 500 villages and small towns had been either completely or partially damaged in the earthquake-hit areas.
The senior provincial minister also cited rough estimates that 3,500,000 people had been affected by the earthquake. “I have personally visited the earthquake-affected areas, and the provincial government has been trying its best to get access to all the affected population of the northern NWFP,” Siraj told the house.
He said that most of the houses were made of mud and that was why they had collapsed and caused so many deaths.
Informing the house about relief operations in the NWFP, the senior minister said that four provincial ministers had been sent to the quake-hit areas with the purpose of supervising relief operations there. According to him, the provincial Health Minister Inayat Khan was stationed in Mansehra, minister for local bodies Sardar Idrees was supervising relief operations in Abbottabad and surrounding areas, the revenue minister was staying in Kohistan and provincial minister for science and technology Sadiq Ahmad Kanju was monitoring relief work in Shangla district.
All available doctors, medical technicians and even trainee policemen have been sent to the earthquake-affected areas.
At the same time, he suggested that the federal government should stop the military operation in Wazirstan area and sent all troops and supporting vehicles to all affected areas.
“I think the situation demands that the federal government should stop military operations and use all its resources for relief operations to save the civilian population,” Siraj added.
Speaking on the occasion, the provincial Information Minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai told the house that special base camps had been set up in all earthquake affected areas. Although a number of civil aviation choppers had been at the disposal of the provincial government, the aviation department had still been requested to send C-130 aircraft so that foodstuff could be airdropped in those areas which had been cut off from the rest of the country following landslides and collapsed bridges.
Earlier, addressing the house the opposition members, particularly Anwar Kamal Marwat of PML-N, cited news reports that 40,000 people had been killed in different parts of the country. Mr Marwat said that the majority of the people were still trapped under the debris and waiting to be rescued, while the government was trying to play down the situation.
Mr Marwat also criticised the press statement of the corps commander about exaggeration of the death toll and said that a person staying in a posh office could never imagine the misery and grief of those counting their breath while lying under the debris.
Sikandar Sherpao of PPP-S said that during the critical situation both the federal and provincial governments should set aside their political differences and work jointly to save suffering humanity. Mr Sherpao also demanded the setting up of relief camps in all parts of concerned areas so that people could be provided emergency relief.
Bashir Ahmad Bilour of the ANP criticised the “passive role of the Pakistan Army” and said that although more than 80 per cent of the country’s budget was being spent servicemen, the army had failed to come forward to rescue the civilian population. He also called upon the federal and provincial governments to increase the amount for relief operations.
