November 1, 2005	Tuesday	Ramzan 27, 1426

ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Monday that the government had prepared a multi-faceted plan and an implementation strategy to effectively meet the challenge posed by the Oct 8 earthquake.

“I will prove the cynics wrong that the government and the army are not capable of handling the earthquake situation,” he asserted at a press conference.

President Musharraf said the relief and rescue work would soon come to an end after which the hard tasks of rehabilitation and reconstruction would start.

“It cannot be said how much the job would cost, $5 billion or more. Estimates of the cost would be ready by November 15 for the donors conference being held four days later to consider,” he said.

Though he was optimistic about foreign assistance coming in a big way, he said if adequate funds were not forthcoming, the government could draw on its more than $12.5 billion foreign exchange reserves to meet the shortfall.

“The good news is that more US and Nato helicopters are arriving here very shortly along with an engineering battalion and heavy equipment to help us in this hour of need,” he added.

“I cannot reach out to those who are born ‘rejectionists’ and cynics but I would appeal to the normal Pakistanis to take into account the foreign assistance being given and forget about the criticism being made by individuals and political parties,” he said.

He sounded very optimistic about the international donors conference being held in Islamabad on November 19 and said that the international community will offer adequate financial assistance for carrying out the government’s just-finalized rehabilitation and reconstruction plan.

“I will be inaugurating the conference, to be participated by many international personalities, including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and senior representatives of the World Bank, IMF, Asian Development Bank(ADB), and Islamic Development Bank (IDB),” he said.

He said in case of financial problems, the ministry of finance will be asked to look into the issue and suggest a solution.

One of the major problems, the president said, was that of resource mobilization to implement the government’s strategy. He said rescue and relief operation will come to an end soon after which rehabilitation and reconstruction work will start for which Nadra was creating a database to help each and every affected village and town of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP.

The shortage of tents, the president said, was a key issue for which the whole international community was supporting Pakistan. So far, he said, 2,28,000 tents had been delivered while half a million more tents would have been delivered by the end of November. He said an engineering battalion was also being moved to quake-affected areas very shortly.

He said in addition to Chaklala air base, two more air bases each in Dhammial, Rawalpindi and Abbotabad have just been set up for receiving foreign aid.

Currently 122 helicopters, he said, were operating while additional 65 helicopters from the United States and Nato were arriving here very soon. He added that US and Nato will each provide 25 helicopters while 15 were being given by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The number of US Chinook helicopters, the president said, would reach 30.

The areas which were still inaccessible, he added, would be approached through these helicopters to carry out the remaining rescue and relief operation. “Now only 5 per cent area remains inaccessible”.

Gen Musharraf highly appreciated the work of the US and Nato forces and described as “cynics” all those who were criticising the government for allowing foreign forces to operate in quake-affected areas.

He said PIA and other agencies were not capable of lifting a huge quantity of goods from abroad, including some 1000 tons shortly to come to Pakistan.

Therefore, he said, the government had to welcome foreign support to urgently mitigate the suffering of the stricken people. The United States provided the major support to Pakistan in terms of relief goods, machinery and helicopters, and all Pakistanis should be grateful to the Americans, he added.

He, however, said he was still interested in meeting politicians to discuss the government’s strategy to restore normalcy in the quake zone. But he told a reporter that there was no need to invite heads of two political parties currently residing abroad - an obvious reference to Ms Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

The president assured that there will be no corruption and that everything will be done in a transparent manner as far as rehabilitation and reconstruction activities were concerned.

Responding to a question, the president said he would make a special appeal to donors, local and foreign private sector companies and overseas Pakistanis to contribute generously towards the reconstruction effort.

In this regard, he said, the reconstruction authority headed by Lt-Gen Zubair was responsible for everything and people should consult him on various issues, including building of prefabricated houses.

Replying to another question, he said that all the big dams will be built as there was no danger of anything and that the country must move forward after the October 8 tragedy.

He said he had approved a Rs2 billion special funding for offering Rs25,000 per head to about 80,000 people, now being asked to come down from mountains. He said an engineering battalion had been moved in some parts to help re-erect houses which had not been totally destroyed.

Generally, he said, a decision had been taken to provide pre-fabricated, earthquake-proof, cheap houses to the affected people. Each such unit should cost Rs1,00,000 to Rs1,50,000.

The president said that the government had decided to launch a National Volunteer Movement, comprising youths, to help the quake victims. In this regard, he said young doctors and other professionals should register themselves with the movement which will be headed by State Minister for Youth Affairs Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani. He had earlier run a Jamaat-i-Islami-backed “Pasban” movement in the early 80s.

Gen Musharraf dispelled the impression that the army officials were being appointed for every major task. He said the army was under Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz who was calling all the shots. The vice-chief of the army, he said, was under the prime minister along with other officers, including Lt-Gen Zubair who, according to the president, saved the Sukkur Barrage.

He agreed that the rebuilding effort required billions of dollars which would be managed both internally and externally. If the need arose, he said, the ministry of finance will be asked to look into the issue and propose a remedy.

The president told a reporter that some delay had occurred in mobilizing the army as it was to be brought from Gujranwala – 300km from the scene of catastrophe.

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