KARACHI, Oct 27: The Pakistan Muslim League, Sindh, and its youth wing have so far dispatched 141 containers and trucks of relief goods to the quake-affected areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP. Besides, the youth wing has also been running a field hospital at the Post-Graduate Medical College, Mansehra, where it has deputed 550 volunteers, including doctors and paramedical staff to provide emergency medical care to quake-affected people.

This was stated by provincial Information Secretary of the PML Haleem Adil Shaikh while talking to a group of journalists here on Thursday.

He said that the relief goods included blankets, medicines, tents, clothes, milk, water, sugar, tea and essential commodities.

Mr Shaikh said that the youth wing had sent a medical mission led by orthopaedic surgeon Zubair Mirza to the quake-hit areas which had brought 18 patients to Karachi for treatment at the OT Hospital, Sharea Faisal.

In reply to a question, he said that the youth wing was arranging more than 10,000 Eid gifts for distribution among the survivors. The gifts were being prepared in Punjab to save transportation charges, he said, adding that each gift pack contained a one week’s food and grain, clothes for children, dry milk, biscuits, books and toys.

He said the that the Sindh PML’s labour wing had also offered to host 500 quake-hit families in Karachi for six months under the supervision of the party’s Field Relief Coordinator, Senator Nisar Ahmed Memon.

“We have decided in principle not to receive any cash donations but only in the shape of kinds; and all expenditure for transporting the relief goods to Azad Kashmir and NWFP are being borne by PML office-bearers,” he pointed out.

Haleem Adil Shaikh said that his family had also offered 25 acres of land on Super Highway as personal donation for use in rehabilitating affected families.

Responding to another question, he said that all relief efforts by different PML chapters were being organized and coordinated by the central command in Islamabad through a call centre operating at the PML House there while the youth wing was operating from the Sports Complex in Islamabad.