November 30, 2005	Wednesday	Shawwal 27, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Tuesday announced that it would establish its permanent welfare offices in the quake-ravaged NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir aimed at extending their services to the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase.

The offices would operate on a permanent basis in these areas, said Wasim Aftab, member MQM coordination committee, while speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Others present on the occasion included Minister for Housing and Works Syed Sawanullah, MNA Kunwar Khalid Younis, MNA Prof Wahab and Abdul Wasim.

Mr Aftab said the party’s Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation (KKF) had winded up its relief and rescue activities after delivering services worth Rs3 billion and would now extend its assistance to the third phase of rehabilitating quake survivors to their original locations.

Responding to a question, he said the party had no intention to acquire political aims by setting up its welfare offices in quake-hit areas.

“If the local people admire our services in their hour of need then we have the right to become their spokesmen,” he said while responding to another question.

Mr Aftab said that the new welfare branches would be extended to Bagh, Rawlakot and Muzaffarabad in Kashmir and to Abbottabad, Batagram, Mansehra, Balakot and other remote areas of the NWFP to protect quake survivors from intense winter and viral diseases.

Talking to Dawn, MNA Haider Abbas Rizvi said office-bearers would soon be selected to run these welfare offices from the respective areas. He claimed that the coordination committee had already received a number of nominations in this regard.

Asked what would be the party’s position on Kashmir if it won election in the region, he said the MQM founder had always backed the right of self-determination of Kashmiris.

“Our manifesto is clear in this regard; we want to let the Kashmiris decide their own destiny,” he added.

He appealed to the Kashmiris to cooperate with the party’s welfare foundation in order to ensure shelter for each displaced family.

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