ISLAMABAD, Jan 3: Army is committed to ensure safety of quake victims in winter, Director General ISPR Major General Shaukat Sultan said here on Tuesday.

He said it was difficult task to take care of over three million people in Himalayan winter but the army, along with NGOs, was helping out these people in mountains despite heavy snowfall.

In response to a question he said: “We were expecting snowfall after 13th of December. That is why we focussed on building temporary shelters and winterised tents. At this moment we are quite certain that the people at this height have got either temporary shelters or winterised tents.”

While answering another question he said about 100,000 troops were doing this job. He said 16 engineer battalions of the army were keeping roads open for traffic and building temporary shelters.

He said helicopter flights had been suspended but the army had been able to dump ration in those areas for about seven days. “So we should be able to ensure their survival even if there are no flights for seven days”.

He said certain roads had been blocked because of landslides but engineers with heavy machinery had been engaged there to clear these roads.—APP