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| November 22, 2005 | Tuesday | Shawwal 19, 1426 |
Australian and Pakistani PMs hold talks on quake aid ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (AFP) Australian Prime Minister John Howard met his Pakistani counterpart Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday for talks on the aftermath of last month's devastating South Asian earthquake. Howard indicated that Australia may add to the 10.4 million dollars it has already donated towards victims of the October 8 disaster, which left more than 74,000 people dead and three million homeless."Australia has already contributed significantly to the relief and rescue efforts. Tomorrow when I visit those areas I will have something further to say on that issue," Howard told reporters in Islamabad. Howard will meet President Pervez Musharraf later on Tuesday. The Australian and Pakistani prime ministers also witnessed the signing of a series of agreements including a memorandum of understanding on combating trans-national crimes. Howard, who was flying in from neighbouring Afghanistan, is the first Australian prime minister to visit Pakistan since 1989.(Posted @ 15:00 PST)
Muzaffarabad crawls back to normaly MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 22 (AFP)In the past week or so, the green shoots of normality have begun to tentatively sprout around the quake ravaged city of Muzaffarabad. Grocery shops, medical stores and barbers' kiosks have opened along the main roads and last week army engineers cleared debris from the once sprawling downtown market, making it accessible to small vehicles. Cell phone business also has boomed in Muzaffarabad since the quake, where earlier the government had barred cell phone operators from the region.Electronics market is also coming to life slowly and for a change herds of cricket fans crowded TV display shops to see Pakistani batsmen getting on top in the second Test at Faisalabad.(Posted @ 10:10 PST)
Massive relief, reconstruction activities being carried out in Earthquake areas MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 22 (APP): Massive relief and reconstruction activities were underway in the far-flung earthquake stricken areas of Azad Kashmir with more than 700 tonnes of relief goods distributed in Neelam and Jhelam valleys districts in the last 24 hours through 130 helicopter sorties and 90 trucks. Some 2000 tents and 1500 blankets were also distributed in these remote areas. According to an ISPR spokesman adequate quantity of ration has been dumped in Leepa valley area to meet the requirement during winter . Meanwhile, Chairman AJK cabinet Relief Committee Malik Muhammad Nawaz Khan has said that more than Rs. 3.7 billion has been distributed so far as compensation(Posted @ 20:18 PST)
Pakistan Army to construct complex of 100 houses in Bagh ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (APP): Pakistan Army in collaboration with NGOs is constructing a complex of 100 houses near village Chattar in district Bagh. Each house over 460 square feet would be provided with electricity and water, the colony will have a children park, a school and training center for women. The houses will be handed over to the widows of the earthquake affected areas of Bagh within the next one week. Meanwhile, over 14000 troops of Army Engineers are building and repairing roads besides assisting people in construction of shelters. So far, over 3,000 shelters have been constructed while 900 shelters are under construction. A total of 800 volunteers have reached from Punjab and various NGOs in Azad Kashmir and NWFP to assist locals in reconstruction of their houses before the severe winters sets in.(Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Earthquake damaged 117 hotels in NWFP, AJK: G. G. Jamal ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (APP): Federal Minister for Tourism, Dr. Ghazi Ghulab Jamal Tuesday said devastating earthquake of October 8 had damaged upto 117 hotels in NWFP and AJK and killed 46 employees, besides destroying a number of other tourist spots. He said the government proposed to give soft loans to the hotel industry for repair and reconstruction.(Posted @ 19:12 PST)
UNHCR Chief to visit Pakistan from Nov 24 ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (APP): United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres will visit Pakistan from Nov 24-25 to seek first hand information about the devastation caused by the Oct 8 earthquake and to assess further requirements.The UNHCR chief would visit Muzaffarabad, Gari Habibullah and Balakot and is expected to call on the President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Guterres would also discuss matters relating to Afghan refugees in Pakistan. He is expected to visit some Afghan Refugee Camps in Peshawar and meet the Governor NWFP.(Posted @ 18:55 PST)
Purchase of some 20,000 blankets from Amritsar ordered WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (APP)- The MQM, USA chapter, has ordered purchase of two consignments of 10,000 blankets each from Amritsar (India) for distribution among the earthquake affected people."It is time-saving to get the consignment from the neighbouring country," chief coordinator of relief operations said. MQM representative Ibad U. Rehman said three containers loaded with relief supplies have left Houston for Karachi, and will take another nine days to reach there- from where these will be taken to the northern areas. These contain 20,000 warm sleeping bags, woollen clothes and blankets. In the meanwhile, he said, the Saudi Airlines have agreed to airlift relief supplies containing 10 to 10 tons of food items and woollen jackets. Ibad said the MQM's field camp from the earthquake hit zone has reported that there was need for food items. The MQM has contacted a company in Minnesotta, which prepares dried and canned food stuff, rich with minerals and vitamins. Efforts were at hand to purchase one or two containers and despatch these by November 30. A one and a half ton consignment of life-saving medicines, woollen ware, gloves, socks and jackets, as well as some wheel chairs-besides snow-proof tents have been flown to Pakistan by PIA commercial flight. Preceding it were two relief loads sent by chartered flights, in collaboration with the United Nations.(Posted @ 18:26 PST)
Reconstruction work in AJK to start next week: AJK PM ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (APP): Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Sikander Hayat Khan has said that the reconstruction work in the quake affected areas would start from next week. People would soon get new homes, and new villages and towns would be set up, he told BBC in an interview.(Posted @ 18:12 PST)
More than 1,500 patients treated in Nato hospital in Bagh ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (APP): More than 1,500 quake stricken patients have been treated in a NATO hospital in Bagh while their engineering battalion is busy repairing roads and clearing debris of collapsed buildings. A wooden structure would be built to restore educational activities in Bagh and water treatment plants would also be installed in the area. Overall, more than 500 personnel of NATO's engineering battalion are busy in rehabilitation activities in Bagh area while another about 800 Nato personnel are engaged in relief activities.(Posted @ 18:04 PST)
AMC attends 300,000 injured in five quake-hit districts of NWFP PESHAWAR, Nov 22 (APP): Doctors of Army Medical Corps (AMC) have so far attended over 300,000 injured in five quake-hit districts of NWFP, says an ISPR press release. AMC medical teams in last 24 hours attended 1,454 more patients at Ghonal, Jared, Kewai, Hassa, Sanghar, Kaghan, Allai, Maira tent village and Thakut. Meanwhile, army engineers continued removal of debris and rubble of collapsed houses and other buildings in Balakot. Some 126 trucks removed rubble from tehsil headquarters, police station and a market in Balakot city. Army Aviation helicopters flew 72 sorties from Main Operational Base to various locations in affected areas and airlifted 43.4 tons of relief goods, including tents, tarpaulin, blankets, quilts, ration and medicines. Six sorties were carried out from Chaklala to drop tents in Kaghan and Battagram. Supply of relief goods also continued by road, and 24 trucks loaded with relief goods were dispatched to Chattar Plain, Garhi Habibullah, Balakot, Shinkiari, Battagram, Darband and other affected areas. Army rescue parties were dispatched to deliver 56,525 kg of relief goods, 1,088 tents and 620 blankets to the inaccessible areas in Balakot, Kala Dhaka, Battal, Shinkiari and Battagram. At Army's distribution points 705 tents, 3,540 blankets and 131,848 kilogramme food items were distributed.(Posted @ 17:58 PST)
DONORS CONFERENCE; US terms exceeding of pledges "a welcome development" WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (APP)- The United States has described as "a welcome development" that pledges made at donors conference in Islamabad exceeded the World Bank estimate, "and it shows strength of how nations working together can help solve crises." The deputy Spokesman of the State Department at a briefing also referred to the initiative announced by President Bush in nominating five distinguished corporate leaders to raise funds for earthquake hit Pakistani people and described it as an important and necessary adjunct to any multilateral effort in response to a crisis of this scale.(Posted @ 17:50 PST)
Army started relief efforts immediately after quake: DG ISPR ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (APP): Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Shaukat Sultan has said that Army started relief and rescue operation in the quake-affected areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP immediately after October 8 earthquake disaster. He said in Ptv interview that Army aviation's helicopters, engineers and medical teams were the first to moved in. About NATO’s role in relief activities he said, they are busy in repairing schools in Bagh. They have also established medical facilities in Arja, and a road from Arja to Bagh is also being repaired by them, he said adding that with Nato's help Army would be able to establish winterised tents in areas of more than 5,000 feet altitude before November 30.And in rest of the areas the task would be completed by December 15 with Nato's help, he stated. Replying to a question he said the tremor was felt at 8.51 a.m. and Pakistan Army brought the first injured Fayaz Abbasi, 20, from Bagh at 11. 30 a.m. Mind it that the flight time from Bagh to Rawalpindi is 45 minutes.(Posted @ 17:45 PST)
China assures quick reconstruction in Pakistan's quake-affected areas BEIJING, Nov. 22 (APP): China assured its support to Pakistan for the quick implementation of reconstruction projects worth $300 million in the quake-affected areas. The assurance was held out by a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Liu Jianchao at a regular news briefing here Tuesday. The pledge of providing $300 million loan was made by the Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Wu Dawei while addressing the donors' conference. The loan would help fund the repair of Karakoram Highway, provide health and educational facilities in Balakot, and establish a network of seismic stations throughout Pakistan.(Posted @ 15:15 PST)
Earthquake aftershocks to continue this month: DG met ISLAMABAD, Nov 21 (APP): Director General Met Office Dr. Qamar Zaman Monday said that although the major rupture in the fault line has settled, more aftershocks were expected which may continue till the end of this month.(Posted @ 10:45 PST)
Two-pronged strategy to rehabilitate quake victims in occupied Kashmir NEW DELHI, Nov 21 (APP): The central and state government of Occupied Kashmir announced Monday a two-pronged strategy to rehabilitate victims of October 8 earthquake. After a two-and-half hour meeting here, the chief minister of Occupied Kashmir, Ghulam Nabi Azad, told newsmen that the first phase of the programme would ensure construction of temporary shelters by next month. In the second phase, permanent structures using tin sheets would be built.(Posted @ 10:45 PST)
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