PESHAWAR, Oct 11: The Awami National Party’s provincial chief Bashir Ahmad Bilour on Tuesday appealed to the government to utilize all national resources and government machinery to help the victims of Saturday’s quake.

The ANP leader criticised the Peshawar corps commander for what he termed his irresponsible statement in which he had said that the media had presented inaccurate and exaggerated versions of the situation in the quake-hit area. He also urged President Pervez Musharraf to deploy the army in Battagram, Abbottabad, Mansehra and other areas which have been completely destroyed by the earthquake.

Bashir Bilour expressed these views during a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club.

Flanked by ANP leaders Mohammad Adeel and Mian Iftikhar, the ANP’s provincial president hit out the MMA government in the NWFP for releasing only Rs25million for the relief of affected people.

He claimed that the MMA government had announced billions of funds in the Malakand by-elections last year but was now reluctant to allocate even a portion of the same for quake relief.

Although the central government had announced Rs5 billion for relief assistance, the victims had not yet received a penny, according to Mr Bilour.

He called upon Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to immediately dispatch Rs1 billion so as to provide some relief to the long-suffering affectees of Saturday’s devastating quake.

Mr Bilour criticised the help cell administration for failing to reach the regions hardest hit by the quake and said that journalists had already reached those spots for coverage. “If mediamen can reach these regions, then why cannot the help cell personnel go there?” he asked.

“It is shameful that there was no crisis management in Pakistan and personnel were brought in from the United Kingdom,” he remarked.

Mr Bilour urged member states of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the wealthy people of Gulf Arab countries to donate generous amounts of money for the quake victims.