WASHINGTON, Oct 27: US President George W. Bush said on Thursday that executives from some of the world’s best-known firms would spearhead efforts to raise private-sector aid for victims of the massive earthquake in Pakistan.

“In the coming days, they will ask Americans to donate directly to a fund set up to provide help to the earthquake victims,” Mr Bush said in a statement released by the White House.

The executives leading the aid drive were Jeff Immelt, chairman and chief executive of General Electric; Hank McKinnell, chairman and CEO of Pfizer; Sandy Weill, chairman of Citigroup; Anne Mulcahy, chairman and CEO of Xerox; and Jim Kelly, former chairman and CEO of United Parcel Service of America, Mr Bush said.—AFP