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PESHAWAR, Oct 13: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Thursday his government planned to set up tented cities with all essential civic amenities to be followed up by model cities in areas devastated by last week’s earthquake.
“We are exploring all possibilities,” the prime minister said at a press conference here soon after attending a meeting of the NWFP government to assess the damage caused by the natural calamity and take stock of the relief and rescue operations in the province.
Chief Minister Akram Durrani and Governor Khalil ur Rehman were also present at the press conference.
Mr Aziz said that the government was striving to set up tented cities as soon as possible. These cities, he said, would include schools and hospitals and inhabitants would be provided with food and other facilities to ease their lives.
He disclosed that the federal government was talking to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to coordinate the rehabilitation efforts in the NWFP and AJK.
The World Bank, he added, would fund the rehabilitation process in the NWFP while the ADB would assist in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of affected areas in the AJK.
He said that the federal government was considering setting up an earthquake rehabilitation authority to oversee the entire process.
“But to rebuild schools and hospitals we need resources,” the prime minister cautioned. He, however, said that response from donors had been encouraging.
He said that the government also planned to build model cities in the affected areas while taking into account possibilities of any future calamity. He said that the government was mindful of the problems involved in such a process and, therefore, it would bank on the cooperation of the people.
But the prime minister emphasized that the government’s first priority was relief and rescue operations in the stricken areas.
“Phase two is reconstruction and rehabilitation,” he added.
Replying to a question, Prime Minister Aziz said that the government was in the process of carrying out an assessment of the damage caused to infrastructure by the disastrous earthquake.
He said that the provincial government, the World Bank and the UNDP were also carrying out their assessments to cross-check the damage. “It is in process,” he said, adding he did not have any figures to offer for now.
He said the federal government had received $300 million in foreign pledges while the President’s Earthquake Relief Fund had received Rs1 billion in donations.
He said that the federal government was considering setting up a committee of independent auditors and provincial and federal government representatives to ensure transparency in distribution of funds and spending.
“People have the right to ask where the money is being spent,” he remarked.
RELIEF WORK: The prime minister said that the government urgently required financial assistance, tents and blankets. He said that the government also needed equipment and heavy machinery to clear up debris and carry out the reconstruction work.
He said that the United States, Germany, Japan and Afghanistan had provided helicopters to assist in evacuation and relief operation. He said that the United States had assured to provide a few more helicopters to speed up the relief and rescue work.
He informed that the Pakistan Army had moved one division of its forces each to Mansehra and the AJK to speed up the relief effort. The one division army was in addition to the one brigade already stationed in Mansehra district. He said that the Pakistan Army would deploy one battalion each at every ten kilometre to assist in the rescue work.
Mr Aziz defended his government against accusation of delay in relief work. He said that he and other government functionaries had visited the affected areas soon after the calamity struck. “But we must realise that the whole government structure had collapsed. Police and civil administration faced a similar situation,” he said.
RELIEF ASSISTANCE FROM ISRAEL: Mr Aziz said that Pakistan had not received any direct offer of assistance from Israel. “But there are so many charities worldwide that you can not stop anyone,” he said.
ASSISTANCE TO THE NWFP: The prime minister said that the federal government had already provided Rs500 million to the NWFP for relief work and had pledged another Rs1 billion to help it cope with the situation.
