ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday announced setting up of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to deal with natural calamities and catastrophes.

He was addressing a ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s House to commemorate the first anniversary of the devastating quake that hit the NWFP and AJK on October 8, 2005. Representatives of various donor countries, ambassadors, artists, social workers and parliamentarians attended the ceremony which was followed by an Iftar party.

Mr Aziz said that soon after the promulgation of an ordinance the NDMA would start functioning.

He said that the new body would coordinate with disaster management bodies of other countries to make it efficient and trustworthy.

The prime minister said Pakistan was grateful to donors, friendly countries and the people around the world for their generous respond to the miseries of thousands of people affected by the devastating quake.

He said that as more than 90 per cent of the affected people had been moved into permanent or semi-permanent transitional abodes from tent-villages, the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) was engaged in providing compensation money to the affected people for reconstructing their houses.

He claimed that despite the fact that the government was not well equipped to deal with such a disaster no one had died of hunger or cold and only about 36,000 people were living in tents at present. He said that they would be facilitated to brave the upcoming winter.

He said that health and educational facilities had been provided in makeshift structures and no one was left without Medical care or children without schools.

The prime minister said the government would welcome criticism as it would help improve performance.

Earlier, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Salman Shah highlighted various phases of earthquake rescue, relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts over the last one year.

Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem Khan told the gathering about an educational institution taking birth in Islamabad with the cooperation of UAE rulers which would cater to the needs of excellence in education for the children of earthquake victims.