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| October 31, 2005 | Monday | Ramzan 26, 1426 |
President says Pakistan to meet colossal challenge of relief reconstruction and rehabilitation RAWALPINDI, Oct31 (APP): President Pervez Musharraf Monday expressed confidence that Pakistan would meet the colossal challenge of relief,reconstruction, and rehabilitation efforts in the wake of October 8 earthquake through implementation of a well thought-out strategy and concerted efforts from all. In his opening statement at a Press Conferenc the President said: "We have put in place a multifaceted strategy and all-out relief operations are underway while reconstruction and rehabilitation have also been started. " "The nation is galvanized and motivated and international support in kind and finances are also available," he added.(Posted @ 19:34 PST)
Pakistan says no plans to cut defence RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Pakistan has no plans to cut its defence spending despite massive reconstruction costs in the aftermath of the Oct 8 quake, President Pervez Musharraf told a news conference on Monday. "There is a security requirement which is separate and there is the earthquake requirement which is totally separate," he said. "We don't want to do one and jeopardise the other.This would be most unwise." Musharraf said Pakistan would host an international donors' conference to be attended by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Nov. 19 to raise funds for reconstruction. Financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank would be invited along with Pakistani industrialists. He said Pakistan was very happy with an agreement with India to open five crossing points over the LoC and said it was a "great opportunity" to move forward a peace process with India. "I think we should, may think of demilitarisation of the whole of Kashmir," he said. "I think this is an opportunity we should utilise for a solution, for moving towards a solution. I think this is a great opportunity."(Posted @ 19:18 PST)
261500 tents, 3.3 million blankets, 53,176 tons relief goods transported to quake affected areas ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 (APP): Relief goods, including 261,500 tents, 3.3 million blankets, and 53,176 tons of ration, medicine, and miscellaneous items have been transported from Chaklala airbase to the quake affected areas, since Oct 8.According to the data compiled by ISPR, these items were airlifted or were despatched by road to the quake-afflicted areas for further distribution among the quake survivors. As for the medical services in the quake affected areas , 21 field hospitals (12 in Azad kashmir, 9 in NWFP) and 12 medical teams (2 in Azad Kashmir, 7 in NWFP and 3 in Rawalpindi) of foreigners are working round-the-clock. These hospitals and teams comprised 434 doctors and 624 paramedical staff. Pakistan Army has also established 4 Forward Treatment Centres, and 10 medical teams Besides one field Hospital by Pakistan Navy. Also, there are 18 surgical teams, 21 health services units, besides 25 health centres by the NGOS are also providing medical care to the affected people.(Posted @ 19:12 PST)
Quake killed 17,000 schoolchildren in Pakistan: UNICEF ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 (AFP) - At least 17,000 Pakistani children died when their schools collapsed in the giant October 8 earthquake and the trauma for survivors is worse than after the Asian tsunami, UN Children's Fund executive director Ann Veneman told reporters in Islamabad. According to UNICEF estimates some 1.6 million to 2.2 million children have been affected by the earthquake, which has killed more than 55,000 people and made 3.3 million homeless. Veneman said that even those children who have survived were traumatised. "The trauma that these children have experienced I think has been particularly even worse than other tragedies like the tsunami, because so many of these kids were in schools," she said. "They were in school at that time when so many of the school buildings came down. The ones that survived, many have injuries, many lost friends, they lost teachers, they lost important people in their lives." The UNICEF chief repeated warnings about a "second wave" of deaths if children are not provided with proper health care, clean drinking water and immunisation against disease. A UNICEF statement quoting Pakistani government estimates said that 6,700 schools have been destroyed in North Western Frontier Province and another 1,300 in Azad Kashmir. The agency was addressing the psychological needs of teachers as well the requirements of nearly 20,000 children "who will have physical impairments after this tragedy due to injuries and amputations," it said. "This figure may increase as more villages are reached," it said.(Posted @ 18:34 PST)
Rs 186,500 raised in boxing bouts for quake relief fund KARACHI, Oct 31 (APP)- An amount of Rs 186,500 was raised through fund raising boxing bouts for earthquake affectees conducted at KPT Sports Complex Sunday night. The amount was contributed by officials of Pakistan Boxing Federation, boxers, referees, judges, sports fans and others. It will be donated to President's Earthquake Relief Fund.(Posted @ 18:18 PST)
Pakistan Army hands over valuables worth millions to AJK Government ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 (APP): Valuables worth millions of rupees retrieved by troops of Pakistan Army during rescue operation and clearance of rubble in Muzaffarabad were handed over on Monday to the Azad Kashmir Government. The engineers have repaired the retaining wall at Prime Minister Secretariat bypass and removed rubbble from Combined Military Hospital, University and Radio Pakistan Colony. The Engineer Battalion employed at Bagh recovered a body raising to 22 the number of recovered bodies during the day. At Balakot the army have so far recovered 131 bodies. All roads in Rawalakot and Bagh district have been reopened accept Neelum valley and some sections of Muzaffabad-Chakothi road.(Posted @ 18:14 PST)
EME starts installing generators in tent villages PESHAWAR, Oct 31 (APP): Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME) of Pakistan Army has started installation of generators for provision of electricity to the survivors living in tent villages of the quake hit areas of NWFP. EME is working round the clock on installation of 55 generators at various tent villages established by Pakistan Army at Banna, Kaghan and Gabori valley. Solar enrgy system is also being installed in tent villages of Hassa and Bassain of Balakot. Army on Monday setup several advance supply bases in the worst hit areas of Kaghan, Sirren and Allai valleys while Army Engineers cleared Balakot-Mangli, Thakot-Darband, Thakot-Banna, Darband-Thakot and Dubair-Khwar roads. Work on Balakot-Naran road is in progress from both the ends. As many as 98 sorties were flown by army aviation to airlift food stuffs, water and medicines.(Posted @ 18:10 PST)
Mines across Kashmir border to be cleared: Indian army SRINAGAR, India, Oct 31 (AFP) - Military officials from India and Pakistan are slated to hold talks Tuesday on the clearing of tens of thousands of mines along the LoC facilitate earthquake relief. V.K. Singh, army chief of staff who heads anti-insurgency operations in occupied Kashmir, told AFP Monday :"We have requested a ... meeting and it may take place tomorrow," he said, indicating there had been a positive response from Pakistan. "It is a pretty difficult task," Singh said. "Some of the mines were laid in 1949 and others have been taken out and replaced with new mines. Some of the mines could have even shifted from the original points." "The clearing requires a joint agreement and the other side (Pakistan) should not object," Singh said. Tuesday's likely meeting, at a yet to decided location on the LoC, follows a decision on the weekend by arch-rivals India and Pakistan to open up the heavy militarised LoC at five points to allow the easier flow of relief for quake victims. Crossing points will be opened indefinitely at Nauseri-Tithwal, Chakhti-Uri, Hajipur-Uri, Rawalakot-Poonch and Tattapani-Mendhar from November 7. People would be allowed to cross the border on foot because of a lack of available transport an poor condition of roads damaged in earthquake. (Posted @ 16:00 PST)
Shaukat Aziz thanks world community for relief assistance ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz thanked the world community for providing assistance in relief and rehabilitation of the quake-affected people. In an interview with BBC World's 'Talking Point' program he said, “we have total commitments from overseas of 2.4 billion dollars and much more will be needed. But the initial pledges are very encouraging and from within the country we have raised over Rs. 5 billion from members of civil society and the business community, and more is coming in." However he added that "so I think if you look at the total funds coming in, the world has stood by Pakistan, but, we need much more." To a question on the blasts in Delhi, Aziz strongly condemned the incident and hoped that the Indian authorities would investigate the matter thoroughly. He said Pakistan agreed to open five crossing points on LoC so that the relatives of quake affected people on both sides could meet and help each other. (Posted @ 14:45 PST)
Malnutrition set to kill more in Pakistan quake zone: WFP ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 (AFP) Earthquake survivors in Pakistan will start dying from lack of food within a month if the world fails to help, and women and children will be the worst hit, the World Food Programme (WFP) said Monday. There were already early signs of nutritional deficiencies in remote mountain areas hit by the October 8 quake and weakened people will fall prey to disease, the UN agency's emergency coordinator Michael Jones said. Food was already a problem in the quake zone before the quake hit, with around 60 percent of children there being chronically malnourished before the earthquake and 10 percent affected by wasting of the body, Jones said. Large numbers of children were found to be suffering from diarrhoea or respiratory illnesses, "suggesting that a rapid increase in cases of acute malnutrition could be imminent", the WFP said in a statement. About 20 percent of mothers with children aged under two had stopped breastfeeding, either because of illness or inadequate breast milk, it added. "Unless there is regular supply and nutritional balance you start having deficiencies. That reflects itself in anaemia, goitre, night blindness, then the body's defence mechanism breaks down," Jones added. "You lose your immunity to waterborne disease, communicable disease, airborne infection, even TB, and we start to lose people just from a weakened body. Also the body is not protected against the cold because you don't have the calories.” Jones said. "People have been saying shelter, shelter, shelter but there is no point having a tent if you are cold and hungry inside," another spokesman added. (Posted @ 13:25 PST)
Shabbir Shah terms opening of LoC as big Indo-Pak CBM ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 (APP): Head of Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Party, Shabbir Ahmed Shah said that the opening of Line of Control between Pakistan and India at five points for the movement of Kashmiris was a good decision and a big confidence building measure. Shabbir told BBC Radio that "we welcome this decision." He demanded that the Indian government to ease documentation formalities for the visitors. "If the formalities of documents are not eased then I think no one will be able to cross LoC", he added. He said people from both the sides want to help their affected brothers in this time of trial. (Posted @ 11:45 PST)
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