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KARACHI, Nov 20: Sindh Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman has asked DCOs of all 23 towns of Sindh to accelerate relief activities for quake-affected people.
According to a statement issued here on Sunday, the chief secretary, keeping in view the present needs, has written to the DCOs to set up more relief camps to collection food items for calamity victims.
The Education secretary has also been asked to ensure collection of at least one food item from each student. The items — rice, flour, pulses, ghee, cooking oil, biscuits, etc. – should be donated in the shape of packets. It has been stressed that a donor should select an item he could afford easily.
At a meeting to review the ongoing relief activities, the chief secretary appreciated the response from people of Sindh to the call for donations in cash and kind for survivors.
He told the meeting that a special train would be arranged by the provincial government for dispatch of tents and other relief goods to quake-affected areas.
OMER SHARIF: Famous artist Omer Sharif presented a cheque of Rs1 million on behalf of the Omer Sharif Trust for quake-hit people on Saturday. The cheque was delivered to the Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui through Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation at a ceremony held at the Arts Council.
On the occasion, Omer Sharif delivered relief goods, including warm clothes and blankets to the In-charge of the MQM’s Rabita Committee, Anwar Alam. The goods were immediately dispatched to quake-hit areas.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister highly appreciated the spirit of the artist.
Pointing out that quake-hit people still needed cash and relief goods, he said more donations were forthcoming from all over Sindh as individuals and NGOs had been collecting and dispatching the same on a regular basis.
MEETING: Leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Saturday took an aerial view of various calamity-hit areas in a helicopter to reviewed the situation and assess the damage caused by the October 8 earthquake, according to a statement issued here.
They found that certain areas of Mansehra and Kaghan had been cut off due to landslides and snowfall which had also been affecting relief activities.
MQM volunteers, led by MNA Kanwar Khalid Younis, proceeded to Kaghan areas from Mansehra to provide relief goods and assistance to survivors who apprised the team of their problems and requirements.
CONSIGNMENT: The MQM has so far sent 30 truckloads of relief goods to Islamabad from its relief camps set up in different cities of Punjab, a statement issued here on Sunday said.
MNA Abdul Waseem and Adviser to the Sindh CM Noman Saigal received the consignment, it added.
According to a separate statement, the MQM sent another consignment of relief goods in three trucks from Islamabad to various quake-hit areas. Waseem Aftab, a member of the MQM Rabita Committee, and other party leaders supervised departure of the relief convoy.
Meanwhile, MNA Abid Ali Umang on Sunday received a truckload of relief goods sent to Islamabad from Karachi, the statement added.
Engineers: A batch of Italian engineers arrived here on Sunday to assist in the reconstruction work in the quake-hit areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Bruno Pasquino, Consul General of Italy, along with officers of Pakistan Army, received the engineers who will join in the Nato contingent already engaged in relief efforts in the area.
According to an ISPR release, the machinery and equipment for the Italian engineers would arrive at the Karachi port on Tuesday following which the engineers would start reconstruction work in Bagh.—APP/PPI
