LAHORE, Nov 13: PML president Shujaat Husain has said the relief goods sent by Indian businessmen for quake victims will help improve friendly ties between the two countries.

Receiving a consignment of eight truckloads of relief goods worth Rs5.2 million at the Wagah border on Sunday, the PML chief said the consignment might have a monetary value, but the spirit with which it had been sent was invaluable and deserved appreciation.

He stressed the need for coordination in the efforts for providing relief to the quake victims. He said they required houses because tents could not protect them from extremely cold weather. The experts were examining a number of house designs for them.

He said he had visited Alai and Batgram thrice and distributed 10,000 blankets among the affected people. He had also visited certain areas where none had reached earlier.

He said the quake victims were being provided relief and rehabilitated without hurting their self-respect because the government did not want to turn them into beggars. He said relief work was needed in far-flung areas of Muzaffarabad. He said he intended to visit Alai once again in the near future.

The PML chief thanked Confederation of Indian Industry president Sunil Kant on behalf of the people of Pakistan for donating relief goods and invited him to visit Islamabad. He accepted the invitation and promised to send more relief goods.

He also offered to send Indian experts for assistance in relief and rehabilitation work in the affected areas.

Punjab Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry office-bearers and Border Security Force officials received Shujaat on arrival at the Wagah border.

Punjab relief minister Gul Hamid Rokhari, MNA Anwar Ali Cheema, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry president Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed, Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice-chairman Jamil Mahboob Magoon, AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Rashid Saleem and District Nazim Mian Amer accompanied Shujaat.