ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: The government relief distribution mechanism in Mansehra district was faulty as the government had paid only Rs25,000 to all the families living inside a single boundary wall though in separate houses.

This was stated by Raza Tanoli of Pakistan Human Rights Commission from Mansehra while speaking at a seminar here on Saturday.

People’s Rights Movement (PRM) and Citizens Forum had organized the seminar on “The Politics of Earthquake” with a view to highlighting emerging issues of corruption, lack of capacity building of local governments and organisations and the eroding trust of affected people on the relief distribution mechanism.

Mr Tanoli said there was joint family system in the area and in many cases three to five family lived in separate portions of a building under a single boundary wall.

He said Rs25,000 was peanut for four or five families to rebuild even transitory shelters. Similarly, he said, Rs100,000 was paid to those families who had lost their members irrespective of their numbers.

Mr Tanoli said that the death of chairman of Geology Department, Peshawar University, in a helicopter crash after the earthquake was still a mystery. He said the professor had finalised all documents of his investigation regarding the earthquake and wanted them to share with the masses.

He said it was unfortunate that despite tall claims the government still did not posses any information and data about the earthquake-affected areas. “Only the UN possesses some data.” He claimed that the final death toll in Mansehra district, as gathered by the district Nazim, was 100,000 against the government figure of 32,000.

Information Secretary of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML- N), Sadiqul Farooque said the army had taken over the relief distribution despite the fact that they were not trained in such things. He said distribution should have been done by local administration with the army playing the role of guards.

“Now it is no more a secret that old blankets, clothes, quilts and tents were distributed among the affected people while the new ones went to army,” he alleged.

He said the rehabilitation and reconstruction should take place according to the Constitution. The government had begged money from the international community despite the fact that it could have generated Rs50 billion by cutting its defence expenditures and funds meant for non-development purposes and luxury of ministers and high ups.

Sanaullah Baloch of Balochistan National Party (BNP) criticised the government for what he said its insensitivity to the plight and suffering of common man. He said after the October-8 earthquake, it seemed that there was no government in Pakistan. The issue of no or less role of government in redressing the issues of common man had made the role of the state irrelevant in Pakistan.