KARACHI, Oct 23: The chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Altaf Hussain, has appealed to people, particularly philanthropists, to deposit a maximum number of relief goods with the Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation.

In his appeal, a copy of which was faxed from London, Mr Hussain said that thousands of people had lost their lives and millions more rendered homeless in the calamity. The survivors, he added, were living under the open sky.

In a separate press release, the MQM said it had set up 50 tents in University Ground, Muzaffarabad, for quake victims and had shifted many homeless families there. The families have been provided with consumer goods and medical facilities.

The settlement has been raised under the supervision of in-charge of the MQM coordination committee Anwar Alam.

The MQM has also set up medical camps in Rawlakot and Bagh. Besides, an MQM team, led by MNA Nawab Mirza, visited different localities of Dhoka, Khotian, Silot, Berziana and Khaniani where relief goods were distributed among survivors and medical assistance was provided to patients.

Meanwhile, the MQM USA chapter is dispatching relief goods to the quake-hit areas by a chartered plane. It has, so far, sent tents, blankets and medicines worth $0.1 million for the quake victims. The cargo plane would be leaving New York for Islamabad in the next few days.

KILLING CONDEMNED: The MQM chief Altaf Hussain strongly condemned the killing of Abdul Aziz, husband of MQM MPA Asma Sherwani. Abdul Aziz was reportedly killed in police firing on Saturday night.