KARACHI, Oct 25: The chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf Hussain, on Tuesday urged the provincial governments of Sindh and Balochistan to undertake steps on a war-footing basis to minimize the damage in case of an earthquake or tsunami.

Renewing his appeal to people to stop donating clothes and edibles, he said the earthquake survivors were in urgent need of tents, blankets, overcoats, stoves, cash, transport, etc.

Addressing a telephonic press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Altaf said there was need of helicopters to deliver relief goods to areas where no aid had reached. He urged transporters to volunteer their vehicles for the smooth delivery of goods.

He expressed concern that the Pakistan Army did not have a sizeable number of helicopters despite spending 60-70 per cent of the country’s expenditure on defence.

He said the MQM and Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation (KKF) were actively involved in relief activities and so far relief goods worth Rs1.10 billion had been dispatched to the quake affected areas of the NWFP and Azad Kashmir.

A tent village had been set up in one affected area, and two more were being set up in Garhi Habibullah and Pattika areas, he said. While medical camps had been set up in Muzaffarabad, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Batagram and Bagh.

He renewed his appeal to the people to celebrate Eidul Fitr with simplicity and donate money meant for eid shopping.

He said teams of volunteers had been dispatched to the affected areas, and that members of the MQM Coordination Committee, and its MNAs, MPAs were monitoring the relief work themselves.

The MQM chief said the coordination committee had decided to recruit jobless experienced doctors on pay for treating quake victims.

Aid from MQM overseas units including the USA, South Africa and Dubai was also pouring in Pakistan, he said.

He urged the Sindh government to construct at least 10-ft banks at Sindh’s beaches to lessen damages to Karachi in any expected even of a tsunami.

The MQM chief stressed on material testing to be used in future constructions in Karachi

Helicopters needed for relief work, says Altaf and forming of a disaster management cell.

The new buildings should be saved from the seismic zone, he said, adding that stern action should be taken against violators.

He said the KKF would continue participating in relief work and rehabilitation of quake affected families.

Deputy Convenor Coordination Committee MQM Dr Farooq Sattar, Waseem Aftab and Adviser to Chief Minister on Information Salahuddin Haider were present.-PPI

Our Staff Reporter adds: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has demanded of the government to take practical steps to avert kidnapping incidents of orphans in the quake-hit northern areas of the country and give exemplary punishment to those found involved.

In a faxed statement issued from the MQM London’s secretariat on Tuesday, the party chief, Altaf Hussain, said thousands of children had become orphans in the devastating earthquake of Oct 8.

Taking advantage of the situation, some unscrupulous elements had been abducting small boys and girls for their ulterior motives, he said.

He feared these elements would make the children physically disabled to use them in beggary.

He asked the government to attach extreme importance to the issue and take prompt action to save the lives of orphans. He appealed to people to keep a strict vigil on such elements.