KARACHI, Oct 12: The Pakistan People’s Party was set to dispatch relief goods worth Rs15 million on Wednesday night for the earthquake victims. The goods have been collected from people in various parts of the city over the past two days.

Meanwhile, Senior Vice-Chairman of the PPP Makhdoom Amin Fahim led a convoy of nine trucks laden with relief goods which set off from Islamabad on Wednesday for Abbotabad, Mansehra and Batgram. Two more truck-loads of relief goods were sent to Muzaffarabad.

This was stated by Deputy Secretary General of the PPP Raza Rabbani at a news conference at Bilawal House here on Wednesday. He also pointed out that two truck-loads of relief goods were dispatched to Garhi Habibullah by the party’s women wing while another four trucks, two each to Muzaffarabad and Rawlakot, were on their way to the destinations.

He paid tributes to the civil society for rising to the occasion and filling in the massive gap in the relief operation owing to the failure of the government machinery.

He said that a team of doctors and paramedics, along with an ambulance and stocks of life-saving drugs had been sent to the quake-affected areas of Mansehra on Tuesday and more team were being sent to Muzaffarabad on Wednesday.

Mr Rabbani said that the PPP had set up hundreds of relief camps at tehsil level all over the country on the directives of the party’s Chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto. In Karachi alone, he added, 35 such camps were collecting relief items.

He expressed deep sorrow and grief over the national tragedy on behalf of Ms Bhutto and the party cadre, and appreciated general public for contributing generously towards the PPP relief fund for the quake victims. He pointed out that Ms Bhutto had already contributed Rs5 million while PPP legislators would be contributing around the same amount in the form of their one-month salary.

Mr Rabbani stressed the need for preventive measures against possible outbreak of epidemics in the affected areas as bodies were still lying scattered in the open and under the debris, unattended. Due to rain and hail storm, stench from the bodies had become unbearable for survivors and relief workers. Potable water at source could also get contaminated if appropriate and timely measures were not taken by the concerned quarters.

Mr Raza Rabbani, who is also leader of the opposition in senate, feared that the death toll in the disaster might swell considerably. In this hour of the national crisis, he said, unity was need of the hour. “We have to convert this grief into strength,” he said while quoting a Chinese saying.

He said the natural calamity had also exposed the inefficiency of the existing system of governance which, he said, was not geared up for meeting such a crisis situation. “We have completely failed in crisis management,” he said while referring to the government’s focus on one particular building in Islamabad following the massive earthquake, and added that this had delayed relief operation to other devastated areas of Mansehra, Muzaffarabad, Balakot, Rawlakot, etc. The tragedy also exposed the government which appeared not equipped with necessary machinery and equipment to cope with such situations.

PPP Sindh chief Syed Qaim Ali Shah spelt out the party’s initiative of mobilizing relief operations and appreciated those who had generously contributed to the humanitarian task.

Also present on the occasion were Sherry Rehman, Taj Haider, Makhdoom Jameeluzzaman, Shazia Marri, Shama Mithani, Rashid Rabbani, Rafiq Engineer and Waqar Mehdi.

Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro alleged that the government was trying to hide facts. He said that on the day the quake hit the country, it focussed only on the effected areas of Islamabad. But, he added, it could not hide the widespread tragedy because of the role of the civil society. He feared that the casualty figure could be more than double the toll so far estimated officially. He also pointed out that the government had not yet announced any package for the massive reconstruction in the quake-hit areas.

He said that while the government parties were being extended the facility of a swift airlift and transportation of relief goods through trains and trucks, the opposition parties should also be provided the same facility in this hour of crisis. Saving human lives should remain non-partisan, he added.