KARACHI, Oct 19: Pakistan army has dispatched more than 14,000 tons of relief goods through various means of transportation in a week to quake-hit areas. This was stated by Brig Saleem Abdullah, Camp Commandant, while giving a briefing to Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, who visited the 5-Corps Control Room at the COD here on Tuesday evening.
He informed the chief minister that relief goods had been sent through trains and trucks, besides many transport aircraft.
He highly appreciated the generosity of the people of Karachi in donating relief goods. “It was unprecedented and spontaneously participation on the part of Karachiites,” he remarked, adding that volunteers of all age groups and from all walks of life were working relentlessly and with great interest to ensure that their brethren in distress received relief goods on time.
The camp commander told the chief minister that following restoration of road links, the strategy of transporting the goods had been changed and the consignments had been sent directly to the affected areas instead of dispatching them to the base camp at Rawalpindi first.
On the occasion, the chief minister directed him that medicines be checked carefully before their dispatch to ensure that expired ones were not sent to their destination.
He said that the unity demonstrated by people at this critical juncture was unprecedented, and said that like in the past, the nation would emerge strong and successful in the crisis.
Dr Arbab also inspected the points where relief goods were being packed and loaded in vehicles and train.
Star cricketers and film/TV celebrities were present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, the chief minister visited the Pakistan Muslim League House to review the relief activities.
He went round different sections of PML House, where the relief goods like medicines, blankets, clothes and food items were kept in separate sections for packing.
PML office-bearers told him that kafans and blankets with other relief goods were being sent to quake-hit areas.
IRAN’S ROLE: Iran has considerably geared up its relief efforts in the affected areas keeping in view the extent of damage and gravity of the situation.
According to sources in Iranian consulate, 150 tons of humanitarian relief goods, including tents, rugs, blankets, packed food products, vegetable oil, pulses, rice, medicines, etc., along with mobile hospital, medical equipment, ambulance, loaders and a land cruiser equipped with emergency equipment have already been brought to Pakistan by eight cargo planes from Iran.
In addition, a 21-member relief and medical aid team of Iran Red Crescent Society along with sniffer dogs was among the first teams which started relief operations on October 9 in the mountainous regions of Kaghan.
This team has provided medical treatment to about 860 people injured in the quake and shifted another 83 seriously injured to different medical centres.
Iran had sent three medical teams comprising 43 members to quake-hit areas which had established three 50-bed mobile hospitals in Mansehra. The hospitals are equipped with all medical facilities like operation theatre, radiology, laboratory, etc.
The Red Crescent Society of Iran has also sent a team of 32 relief experts along with 10 ambulances and one mini-truck to Pakistan through a cargo train via Mirjaveh (Zahedan) which has now started moving towards Islamabad for providing relief to victims.
Members of the Iranian parliament have donated a part of their salaries for quake victims.—APP
