KARACHI, Oct 24: The Pakistan Canvas and Tents Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCTMEA), who has been given the task by the government to provide 90,000 tents till Nov 30, will provide 5,000 tents before Eidul Fitr.

This was decided during a meeting here on Monday, chaired by the Sindh Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman. The office-bearers of the PCTMEA and officers of concerned departments also attended the meeting.

The PCTMEA leaders assured the meeting that the target of supplying 90,000 tents before Nov 30 would be met, besides 5,000 tents, as per the standards specified by the Labour Department, would be duly provided before Eid.

They said that the tent-making units in Sindh including Karachi were facing acute shortage of skilled manpower, as a number of their workers had left for upcountry hometowns to observe Eid with their relatives. They said that in some cases relatives of these workers were the directly affected by the recent earthquake.

The chief secretary asked the secretary finance to transfer the funds for the purchase of tents into the account of Sindh Relief Commissioner, so that 25 per cent advance could be paid according to the approved terms and conditions, and balance be paid at the time of delivery.

He also appointed EDO (EPI) Rais Piracha as the focal person in this regard.

The chief secretary said the nation needed an active cooperation of people belonging to all walks of life at this crucial juncture of it history.

He said that the whole nation should play their due role in time of national emergency, so that quick relief and rescue could be provided to the affected brethren.

PCTMEA Chairman Abdul Razzaq Chappra, Zonal Chief Naveed Ahmed, Vice-Chairman Mehmood Alam Shaikh, M.J. Aftab, Abdullah Abid, Shabab Ahmed, Syed Naseemuddin, Javed Arif, Usman Ameen, Sindh Relief Commissioner Syed Anwar Haider, provincial secretaries Malik Israr Ahmed (Finance), Nasar Hayat (Industries), DCO Karachi Fazlur Rehman, EDO (EPI) Rais Piracha, Deputy Secretary Implementation and Coordination Naukhez Anwer Siddiqui, and MD SITE Shah Zar Shamoon were also present.—PPI