ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: The federal government has committed to provide Rs32 billion in financial assistance for rehabilitation of NWFP’s areas worst affected by Saturday’s earthquake, Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani said on Wednesday.

“This assistance is in addition to Rs1.5 billion which the federal government has already released to assist the province to augment the relief operations,” Mr Durrani said at a press conference after attending the National Security Council meeting for the first time. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will visit the NWFP on Thursday to attend a special provincial cabinet meeting where a detailed briefing about the magnitude of destruction in the province will be given to him.

According to NWFP government estimates, he said, some 200,000 houses had collapsed, especially in Mansehra and Balakot, and Rs20 billion would be needed for the construction of houses and another Rs15 billion to build hospitals, colleges, schools, police stations and other government offices in the affected areas.

The death toll in the NWFP was 10,000 with 15,000 injured and billions of rupees would be needed to compensate the affected families, he said.

When asked whether his participation in the NSC meeting should be construed as a change in the policy of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government in the NWFP regarding acceptance of the council, the chief minister said that when people were in dire need of help, hungry and without any shelter, one would reach out to every avenue to get assistance.

He said he had attended the meeting after taking permission of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who allowed him to participate after consultation with the leadership of the alliance. He brushed aside the impression that his attendance would create a rift among the coalition partners.

He said President Pervez Musharraf had assured him of all kinds of assistance and asked him to conduct feasibility study for acquiring land to build new cities.

Mr Durrani welcomed the gesture by the governments of Punjab and Sindh which sanctioned Rs50 million and Rs10 million, respectively, for the relief work.

He praised the overwhelming support from the people of Karachi, who collected relief goods in huge quantity for the victims.

He said his government would continue to work in close coordination with the NWFP governor for the development of the province.

He said the federal government was negotiating with some companies of the United States having expertise in building small houses in a few days. The NWFP government had released Rs2 million to every district coordination officer in the affected areas, he said.

He appealed to international donors and local volunteers to provide tents, winter clothing, quilts and medicines as early as possible as people were living in the open.

He suggested that instead of the Islamabad airport, landing strips in Kamra or Risalpur should be used for the transportation of relief goods.