ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: The federal government has set up a federal relief commission for coordination of rescue and relief operations in the quake-affected areas of the NWFP and Azad Kashmir.
The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by President General Pervez Musharraf and attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Chief of Prime Minister’s Inspection Cell, Maj-Gen Farooq Ahmed, has been named federal relief commissioner.
The commission will streamline relief efforts in cooperation with provincial governments, relevant ministries, non-governmental organizations, the Red Crescent and other international agencies.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Aziz said on Monday that the confirmed death toll had gone up to 20,745 and the number of injured stood at 42,000.
He said that five base camps were being set up in the worst affected areas.
Relief goods would be sent to these base camps and would be distributed from there to different areas, he said.
The prime minister said Pakistan Railways (PR) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had been directed to expedite their services to carry relief goods from different parts of the country to the base camps or other accessible areas.
Assistance of various countries has been sought for the repair of road and telecommunication networks in areas flattened by the quake.
“Several countries have assured us that they would provide maximum help in this regard,” he maintained.
Giving details about a decision taken at a special cabinet meeting, he said four committees had been constituted to supervise relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations.
The meeting reviewed the progress of rescue and relief work being undertaken by the government and international and private agencies.
The foreign aid committee will consist of the minister for foreign affairs, minister of state for foreign affairs, adviser to the prime minister on finance and minister of state for economic affairs.
The local resources mobilization committee will consist of the ministers for privatization and commerce and the minister for state for finance.
The committee for Azad Jammu and Kashmir will consist of the ministers for Kashmir affairs, information and broadcasting, law and population welfare.
The committee for North-West Frontier Province will comprise ministers for industries and tourism and the minister of state for railways.
The committees on AJK and NWFP will set up their camp offices in Mansehra and Muzaffarabad.
The prime minister said the cabinet expressed its satisfaction over restoration of road links between Muzaffarabad and the rest of the country and Balakot which would immensely facilitate rescue and relief work.
