LAHORE, Oct 12: The Punjab government has announced Rs100 million for the President’s Fund for the relief of earthquake affectees which is in addition to the Rs50 million it has already given to the Azad Kashmir and NWFP governments each.

According to a spokesman here on Wednesday, the provincial government was also sending relief goods worth millions of rupees to the affected areas.

He said the government had also made an appeal to the people to donate at least one blanket or a quilt for the affectees as protection against severe cold. The government, he said, was making efforts to purchase blankets and quilts from the market, but they were not available.

He said the people should keep the two necessary items ready for donation as they would be collected by mobile teams of provincial or district governments.

The spokesman said the chief minister’s helicopter was being used in the northern areas for relief activities.

400 policemen: The Punjab government sent on Wednesday a contingent of 400 police personnel to Muzaffarabad on the request of the Azad Kashmir government.

According to Law Minister Basharat Raja, the relief activities for quake affectees had been accelerated.

He said a large number of wounded people from the affected areas of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP were being brought to Rawalpindi. As of now around 5,000 injured had been shifted to various Rawalpindi hospitals.

He directed health authorities to prepare emergency beds in all major hospitals from Rawalpindi to Lahore to cope with the increasing number of injured people.