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| October 18, 2005 | Tuesday | Ramazan 13, 1426 |
Musharraf ready to open Kashmir frontier after quake MUZAFFARABAD, Azad Kashmir, Oct 18 (AFP) - President Pervez Musharraf said Tuesday that Pakistan was ready to open the LoC dividing Kashmir, allowing Indian Kashmiris to come and join aid efforts after the earthquake. "We will allow any amount of people coming across the Line of Control to meet their relatives and assist with the reconstruction effort," Musharraf told reporters on a visit to the ravaged Azad Kashmir capital of Muzaffarabad. He also proposed that the political leaders of both sides should interact to "assist each other with the reconstruction efforts.""No formal proposal has been made to New Delhi. It is being put across through you," Musharraf said, referring to the media."The modalities of this need to be worked out... and we expect a response to be forthcoming from the Indian side." Musharraf also said he wanted mobile telephone companies to open "linkages with their brethen" to let Kashmir's divided families talk to one another after the quake. Pakistan's foreign ministry said separately that mobile telephone service would be extended to Kashmiris living near the Line of Control. India on Tuesday also said Kashmiris on the Indian side could telephone family members on the Pakistani side over the next two weeks.(Posted @ 20:35 PST)
Pakistan's Musharraf launches fresh appeal for global help ISLAMABAD, Oct 19 (AFP) - Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Tuesday made a fresh call on the world community to help his quake-devastated country in the "most difficult" task of reconstruction and rehabilitation. In a nationwide broadcast, Musharraf spelled out plans to rehabilitate children who have become orphans, women who have become widows and mountain dwellers who lost their homes and businesses. The address to the nation was his second since the October 8 quake which killed about 42,000 people, injured over 67,000 and left more than three million homeless in northern regions and in the Azad Kashmir. While expressing gratitude for the donations Pakistan has received from 32 countries, he said: "I think the amount (needed) is going to far exceed this and is going to be beyond the reach of Pakistan government. "Therefore, I appeal to all donors, any donors from the world, I appeal to you to donate more to the President's Relief Fund." Musharraf said reconstruction and rehabilitation would be "the most difficult and long-term phase which will take months and even years". The government needed to rebuild state buildings, schools, hospitals, colleges, police stations and houses which have collapsed, he said The government also wants to set up rehabilitation centers for children who have become orphans and those whose parents have not been traced, he said. "We will not allow adoption of these children as it entails many social problems. Their upbringing will be the government's responsibility." He said there were many widows who were under treatment and many others who have became disabled. "The government will take care of them." Musharraf said trauma centres would have to be set up as "many people have been traumatized by the calamity and (are) suffering from psychological and psychiatric problems".(Posted @ 23:45 PST)
India welcomes Pakistan's offer to open up Kashmir border NEW DELHI, Oct 18 (AFP - India Tuesday welcomed an offer by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to open up their de facto border in Kashmir, allowing Indian Kashmiris to join aid efforts in the quake-hit region. "We have seen news reports about President Musharraf's remarks. If these news reports are correct, we welcome the offer that has been made," the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement. "This is in line with India's advocacy of greater movement across the Line of Control for relief work and closer people-to-people contacts," it added. Quake-SAsia-Pakistan-Kashmir-India-Musharraf-welcome(Posted @ 23:30 PST)
Indian relief goods train arrives LAHORE Oct, 18-(PPI): An Indian train comprising nine wagons with 10,000 tonnes of relief goods for earthquake victims has arrived through Wahgah border here on Tuesday. This is the second consignment of relief Goods which neighboring country has dispatched through train. The relief goods/material contains tents, blankets, medicines, food items and other essential utencils of daily use. The train coming from India reached here at 11:00am and departed for Rawalpindi at 4:00pm (afternoon). Muhammad Ilyas, Pakistani driver accompanying the train told The reporters here that a large number government high ranking officials, hundreds Of citizens and media people gave send-off at Attari railway station With warm slogans and feelings. While the Indian train arriving here was inscribed with welcome slogans for the Pakistani people. According to Pakistan Railway officials, another (third one) train of relief goods from India would arrive here next week.(Posted @ 23:15 PST)
PM constitutes Cabinet Committee to review rehabilitation work ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday constituted 14-member Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Cabinet Committee to review and monitor reconstruction and rehabilitation work. Cabinet Division will be the secretariat of the Cabinet Committee. The members of the Committee will be Minister for Education, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Health, Minister for Housing & Works, Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiatives, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Minister for Information Technology, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas, Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis, Minister for Religious Affairs, Zakat and Ushr, Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education and Minister for Water and Power.(Posted @ 22:20 PST)
Indian members parliament arrive in Pakistan with relief goods LAHORE, Oct 18 (APP): Indian members parliament Nirmala Desh Pandey and AR Shaheen Tuesday arrived in the city along with three truckloads of relief goods for the earthquake victims. (Posted @ 22:12 PST)
NATO boosts Pakistan aid efforts BRUSSELS, Oct 18 (AFP) - NATO has agreed to transport several hundred tonnes of humanitarian aid to Pakistan and plans to offer more help following the devastating earthquake there 10 days ago, a spokesman said on Tuesday. The aid is being airlifted into Pakistan, but the spokesman could not say how long the effort would continue. "NATO and UNHCR have agreed that the alliance will begin transporting UNHCR supplies to Pakistan in what I would call significant amounts," said the spokesman, James Appathurai.(Posted @ 20:28 PST)
UNHCR to provide 5500 tents, 19000 blankets, 80000 sq.mt plastic sheets to quake victims ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (APP): Two charted plans of UNHCR carrying 4000 tents, 4000 blankets and 375 bales of plastic sheets arrived on Chaklala Air Base on Tuesday. UNHCR will provide a total of 19000 blankets 80000 sq. mt plastic sheets and 5500 tents to the earthquake victims. First consignment of 47 trucks loaded with tents, blankets and plastic sheet has already arrived from UNHCR warehouse in Afghanistan and 42 charted flights carrying relief goods would arrive during the next two weeks.(Posted @ 20:24 PST)
PM visits UAE's field hospital, appreciates the gesture BALAKOT, Oct 18 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday visited the Field Hospital set up by the UAE Armed Forces, catering to about 500 patients daily and arranging the airlift of seriously injured to the UAE for treatment. Col. Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, head of the team, briefed the Prime Minister about the fully equipped hundred-bed field hospital.(Posted @ 20:18 PST)
Army Aviation choppers extend services to inaccessible quake hit areas PESHAWAR Oct 18 (APP): Army Aviation helicopters have extended their flights to remotest and inaccessible valleys of NWFP hit by the earthquake for dropping food supplies, tents medicines, clothes and also evacuating casualties. According to an ISPR press release 54 sorties were flown from Chaklala and Mansehra; and helicopters of foreign countries participating flew 12 sorties to Balakot, Besham, Batgram, Dirkot, Garhi Habibullah and Oghi and dropped 844 tents, 9.59 tons of ration, 3484 blankets, 0.46 tons of medicines, 0.61 tons of clothes and other items. Helicopters of Pakistan Army Aviation flew 45 sorties for Main Operational Base at Mansehra to the worst hit areas of Allai, Hungari, Paras, Garhi Habibullah, Jarid, Bunga, Jabori, Bighai, Janol, Manda Gucha, Serri, Kawai, Kaghan, Naran, Pattan, Balakot, Jabbar, Shinkiari and transported 49000 kilogrammes of relief goods. The helicopters also evacuated 147 casualties during its missions from the affected areas. Meanwhile, Pakistan Army dispatched 61 relief goods trucks to various areas of Garhi Habibullah, Balakot, Jabori and Battal sectors. A train with relief goods that arrived from Karachi to Havelian is being unloaded. A total of 1548 injured were attended at Combined Military Hospital Abbottabad. Army Medical Corps have also constituted ten medical teams and are operating at Balakot, Batgram, Garhi Habibullah, Naran, Jarid, Kawai and Mansehra. AMC and foreign medical teams have so far provided treatment to 20,607 casualties in these areas. PTCL telephone exchange at Balakot has been made operational, electricity has been restored in the area, and engineers of Pakistan Army have cleared slides from Garhi Habibullah- Balakot road and a track leading from Chopra to Dinga.(Posted @ 20:12 PST)
Domestic funding for quake relief touches Rs 5.5 billion: Hafeez ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (APP): The Cabinet Committee on Fund Raising from Business Community for Earthquake Relief has so far received Rs. 5.5 billion from 184 business groups while more than 700 business groups are in process,Dr. Hafeez Shaikh, Minister for Privatization and Investment, who is also Chairman of the Cabinet Committee, said in a statement Tuesday. He said over Rs. 4.664 billion has been raised for the President's Fund, Rs. 72.7 million to other relief funds while contributions in kind were worth Rs. 737.13 million.(Posted @ 20:02 PST)
PM urges people in affected areas to move to tentage villages BALAKOT, Oct 18 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday asked the earthquake affectees in the inaccessible areas damaged by the Oct 8 earthquake to shift to the tentage villages where they can be provided shelter, food and medicines. "I urge the people still living besides their destroyed houses to descend to the valleys and live in the tentage villages where they can be properly looked after," he told the earthquake affectees at Manshera and Balakot. He sought support of the elected representatives in this campaign. The Prime Minister who was on a day long visit to the earthquake affected areas in NWFP said the government was concentrating on provision of tents, blankets and bedding at the earliest possible. "We have banned export of tents from Pakistan and are purchasing more from abroad. to cater to the demand," he said adding that about one million quilts were on the way from Punjab. NATO was also airlifting tents, including 25,000 only from Turkey. He appreciated that the civil administration was fully integrated into the relief operations and said the services of the elected Nazims, Naib Nazims and Councillors should be optimally utilised. Particularly for the inaccessible areas.(Posted @ 19:55 PST)
WB Mission to visit quake affected areas for needs assessment ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (APP): A World Bank Mission will visit the quake affected areas over the next two weeks and prepare needs assessment for the rehabilitation of earthquake victims and reconstruction of infrastructure in AJK and NWFP.The Bank's Earthquake Emergency Mission comprising Mr. Christoph Pusch and John Wall, country director held a meeting with Dr. Salman Shah, Adviser to PM on Finance and Economic Affairs and Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Division Ms Hina Rabbani Khar here Tuesday. Dr. Salman Shah emphasized to complete the need assessment survey expeditiously and determine the quantum of damage to chalk out a suitable strategy to rehabilitate the victims. The creation of a separate working group for each cluster was also discussed. These include reconstruction of houses, infrastructure, schools, hospitals, roads, water, sanitation etc. Dr. Salman Shah suggested that strategy might include cash compensation for early rehabilitation. The best practices and international experience of disaster management in case of Turkey, Sri Lanka and India was also discussed. He asked the WB to prepare a document with strategic options, affordable technology, material and design for the reconstruction of houses and other infrastructure. The meeting agreed that the most important need of the hour was to provide temporary housing. Various options including tentage villages and prefabricated structures were considered for the transitory phase.(Posted @ 19:50 PST)
India to allow Kashmiris to phone relatives in Pakistani Kashmir NEW DELHI, Oct 18 (AFP) - India's foreign ministry said Tuesday Kashmiris have been allowed to contact family members living on the Pakistani side of the LoC for the next two weeks in the wake of a devastating earthquake. "This facility is being provided as a special case," an Indian foreign ministry statement said, adding it came "on the directions of" the prime minister. The department of telecommunications will be setting up phone centres in four earthquake-hit towns in occupied Kashmir, the statement said. These will be operational by Wednesday.(Posted @ 19:40 PST)
Half a million in desperate need after Pakistan quake: WFP ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (AFP) - Half a million survivors of Pakistan's earthquake are in "desperate need" of shelter, blankets, medical care and food with time running out to save them, the World Food Programme (WFP) said Tuesday. James Morris, executive director of the United Nations agency, said that reaching the isolated victims of the October 8 earthquake in the Himalayas was one of the toughest aid missions ever. "The aid agencies have managed to give some help to hundreds of thousands of people, but there are an estimated half a million more people out there in desperate need who no one has managed to reach," Morris said in a statement. "People don't just need food -- first of all they need shelter, blankets and medical assistance -- then food and clean water," Morris added. The WFP said half a million people had received enough food for several days but that "time was running out" with winter approaching. "At the best of times this is very difficult terrain, but with landslides blocking roads, plus the onset of winter, getting to these people is taking far longer. And there is very little time left," Morris said. Pakistan says the October 8 earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale killed more than 41,000 people and left 3.3 million others homeless. Pakistan has been urgently importing tents, fearing that the country is critically short of shelter ahead of the Himalayan winter.(Posted @ 18:45 PST)
Pakistan asks world for tetanus vaccine ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (AFP) - Pakistan's disaster response chief made a desperate international appeal for tetanus medicine Tuesday, saying the quake-hit country needed at least 100,000 doses as soon as possible."We have an urgent need for anti-tetanus globalin to treat victims who have developed tetanus disease," Major General Farooq Ahmad Khan told a news conference. "We need a maximum number of anti-tetanus globalin. We request everyone abroad to fly this as soon as possible... This medicine must be flown in a quantity of 100,000 as soon as possible."(Posted @ 18:40 PST)
Quake-hit Pakistan bans export of tents ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (AFP) - Pakistan has banned the export of tents with immediate effect, Major General Farooq Ahmad Khan told a news conference today. He said there were 37 tent-making factories in Punjab alone with a capacity of producing 75,000 tents a day. They may not all be capable of producing weather-protected tents, but "we need it all and need it in (these) numbers for the simple reason that 200,000 houses have gone down. The families are above three million. When you do a simple calculation, you see how many you need.”(Posted @ 18:38 PST)
Prime Minister asks Army to further speedup relief operation Abbottabad, Oct 18 (PPI): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday lauded the role of Pakistan Army personnel in the relief and resecue operation in the areas affected by the massive October 8 earthquake and called for its further acceleration. He was attending a briefing at Pakistan Army Base Camp at Mansehra by Force Command Sector Incharge Major General Syed Shakeel Hussain. NWFP Governor Khalilur Rahman, Chief Minister Akram Durrani, Corps Commander NWFP Lt General Hamid Khan, Federal Ministers Ejazul-Haq, Amanullah Khan Jadoon, National Relief Commissioner Major General Faroque and provincial ministers were also present. Earlier, the Prime Minister met the injured people at Mansehra Hospital and visited earthquake-affected areas of Balakot, Battagram, Kohistan and Kaghan. Shaukat Aziz praised the response of the nation, donor agencies and volunteers and said without their help and support, the government would have been unable to face the crisis.(Posted @ 17:52 PST)
Earthquake destroys 8000 schools in NWFP PESHAWAR, Oct 18, (APP): As many as 8,000 schools have been destroyed in NWFP in the devastating earthquake of October 08 last. According to the official website of NWFP government, more than 90 percent schools were completely destroyed in the worst affected districts of Mansehra, Shangla, Batagram, Kohistan and Abbotabad. About 5,000 school children lost their lives while thousands received injuries in the killer quake. The NWFP Elementary Education Foundation has been instructed to release loans on easy terms for reconstruction of private sector school buildings. The Provincial government has also decided to set up tent-schools.(Posted @ 17:30 PST)
About 700 aftershocks recorded since Oct 8: Chief meteorologist ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (APP): Chief Meteorologist Anjum Bari on Tuesday said about 700 aftershocks have been recorded so far after the major earthquake on October 8. He said in a Ptv interview that the intensity of aftershocks was decreasing with the passage of time. Intensity of over 40 aftershocks were more then 5 and were felt in many areas including Islamabad. Low intensity aftershocks could continue for one year, and high magnitude shocks will be felt for three to four weeks, he said.(Posted @ 17:25 PST)
Foreign aid for quake-affectees continue pouring in Pakistan, 118 aircrafts arrived so far ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (APP): Foreign