ISLAMABAD, Dec 3: The World Bank has announced that it is setting up a special fund to rehabilitate the people rendered disabled by the earthquake in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the NWFP. The announcement was made by the country director of the World Bank in Pakistan, John Wall, while speaking at a ceremony held on Saturday to observe the World Day of Disabled Persons.

He said that the earthquake had resulted in a worst tragedy for Pakistan where it had caused a huge death toll and left a large number of people handicapped.

“Disabled persons need our special attention and all should work together to rehabilitate them,” he added.

He said the World Bank had already announced a grant of $5 million for rehabilitation of the quake victims. “We want to spend some money out of this grant to help the people, who got maimed in October 8 calamity, recover and rehabilitate,” he said.

He said that it was necessary to ensure the use of special fund in a fair and transparent manner and added that all measures would be taken to utilize the fund in a fair manner so that it reached the deserving people.

He said that a board of governors, comprising renowned experts and professionals, would be constituted to utilize the special fund in a transparent manner.

He said that the traumatized quake victims were suffering from psychological disease and it was need of the hour to take initiatives to help them recover so that they could lead a normal life again. —-Online