All parties to be taken on board: Aziz to convene meeting on reconstruction
By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Nov 9: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Wednesday that he would convene a meeting of parliamentary leaders next week to share with them earthquake data and plans for rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Talking to reporters after presiding over several quake-related meetings here, he said a parliamentary leaders’ committee will be formed to serve as a permanent forum to assist in the process of reconstruction.
He hoped that all leaders would participate in the body as it would serve as a platform for utilization of their supervisory skills and take care of their concerns and reservations.
Those who are being invited to the meeting include leader of the opposition, and parliamentary leaders of PPPP, PML(N), PML(Q), MQM, People’s Party (Patriots), PML (Functional) and Tribal Areas.
Mr Aziz said he will personally contact all those who are to be invited to attend the meeting, whose date is to be fixed later. They would also be invited to attend the international donors’ conference to be held on Nov 19.
He rejected criticism against the relief and reconstruction efforts being led by the armed forces, saying that the army was also part of the government. He pointed out that the Vice-Chief of General Staff sits in the PM’s secretariat.
He said the Chief Relief Commissioner, Major General Farooq Ahmad, had been appointed during the Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali government.
He said the chairman of Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority, Lt-Gen (retd) Muhammad Zubair, “is the man who saved the Sukkur Barrage”. He said he had requested the president for benefiting from his abilities as he was going to retire.
He said the army was a disciplined institution fully capable of carrying out relief operations. No other institution was in a position to do this.
The prime minister said important decisions “have been taken to streamline and expedite payment of compensation” to the quake-stricken people.
He announced that substantive part of the families that had lost their members would get compensation of Rs1 lakh by 30th of this month while payment would be completed by the year-end. Similarly, payment of Rs25,000 for rebuilding houses would substantially be completed by the end of the month.
Mr Aziz said claim forms for compensation would be made available with tehsil municipal officers in the NWFP and offices of the assistant commissioners in Azad Kashmir by Friday. This would facilitate outstation affectees to go to these places and file their claims.
The prime minister said a “Master Plan for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation” would be prepared and implemented in cooperation with local elected representatives.
He said the reconstruction process would take five years but the government was determined to complete a substantive part in three years.
He announced that apart from the Auditor General of Pakistan, Ford Rhodes would also carry out audit of the President’s Relief Fund for Earthquake.
Mr Aziz said damage assessment was being finalized whose details would be made public by Friday “so that donors come fully prepared for the forthcoming conference”.
He said the president would announce a sponsorship programme on the occasion which would then be launched all over the world. Under the programme, individuals, organizations or governments would sponsor an injured, an institution, a village or a city.
The prime minister said a comprehensive programme for rehabilitation of the disabled had been approved which included establishment of three artificial limbs centres, one each in Islamabad, Muzaffarabad and Mansehra, with the funding of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
He said the strategy and vision of the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority was approved at a meting chaired by him on Wednesday.
