PESHAWAR, Oct 2: Provincial Senior Minister Sirajul Haq has called upon the world community, especially the Arabs, to honour their commitments and promises made at the donors’ conference for rehabilitation of quake-affected people and reconstruction of areas hit by the disaster.

In an interview with a TV channel, he appealed for help for the NWFP government’s plan of establishing a new Balakot city at Bakrial.

He said the earthquake had caused widespread damage in Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad, Kohistan and Shangla districts in the NWFP.

He said donations by people of the country ensured that the government did not face shortage of resources in its relief efforts.

He said fears about epidemics, kidnappings, human smuggling and deaths because of severe cold after the earthquake had been proven wrong and the situation remained under control.

The minister said welfare organisations, including Alkhidmat Foundation, Jamaatud Dawah and Al Khair, helped in healing the wounds of the affected people.—PPI