He said that people had shown fervour in assistance and solidarity with the quake victims of the NWFP, Azad Kashmir and Punjab. However, he said that there were complaints about artificial price hike of medicines and increase in inter-provincial transport fares. He said strict action would be taken against all profiteers.
Talking to newsmen after seeing off the relief goods at PAF Base and Drigh Road Railway Station on Wednesday, he said that medicines, blankets, tents and other necessary goods were being sent to quake-hit areas through C-130 while warm clothes, edibles, drinking water and others daily commodities were dispatched through 60 bogies of train.
“So far 20,000 tons of relief goods have been sent to quake-hit areas, which were collected and donated by the people of Sindh, particularly Karachi. Students voluntarily collected donations and worked days and nights with a fervour to help the needy people of Azad Kashmir, the NWFP and Punjab, who were affected by the worse earthquake of Pakistan history,” the governor said.
Ishratul Ibad was of the view that timely provision of relief goods was of much importance. Besides, manpower was also needed in the quake-ravaged areas to distribute these relief goods. In this regard, he added, the government was sending teams and volunteers are going to different quake-devastated areas.
He said President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and ministers were supervising the relief operation day and night.
About the tremors experienced in some parts of Karachi, the governor said that the meteorological department recorded intensity of tremors 4.0 at the Richter scale.
The governor said: “We should pray for blessings instead of being afraid of the mild tremors, which were experienced in some areas of Karachi and should prepare to face any kind of situation.”
Newly elected Karachi Nazim Mustafa Kamal, DG Rangers Maj-Gen Javed Zia, Principal Secretary Saleem Khan, Provincial Relief Commissioner Syed Anwar Hyder, DS Railway Junaid Qureshi and other high officials were also present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui saw off another train loaded with medicines, blankets, mattresses, flour, ghee, oil, sugar, rice, pulses, mineral water and clothes at Drigh Road Railway Station on Wednesday.
Talking to newsmen, the minister said the whole nation was showing an unprecedented fervour to assist and help the quake-affected people and would keep helping and assisting them till their complete rehabilitation.
The relief goods sent through train was collected by Sindh Police.
Taking strong notice of reports that transporters have raised fares following the influx of people wanting to see their relatives in northern parts of the country, Rauf Siddiqui asked people to register complaints with police if they were being made to pay more travelling fares for Islamabad, the NWFP and other destinations in Azad Kashmir.
He warned transporters to restrain themselves from overcharging already distressed people otherwise their (transporters) licences would be cancelled and they would be subjected to severe punishment.
He directed the police officials to take action against such profiteers.
According to DS Railway Junaid Qureshi, two trains with 100 bogies carrying relief goods for earthquake victims were sent on Wednesday. He said that a few bogies loaded with more than five ton medical supplies were attached with regular trains on Tuesday night. A 50-bogie goods train would also be sent on Thursday evening, he mentioned.
In the meantime, relief goods continued to arrive at the PAF Museum camp throughout the day. A total of 16 trucks loaded with medicines, edibles, 12,000 metre shroud and other essential items were handed over to PAF officials by Sindh Health Minister Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani.
Secretary Health Prof Noshad Shaikh, DG Health Dr Hadi Bukhsh Jatoi and EDO Health Dr Khalid Shaikh were also present at the site.
The health minister said that a 35-member medical team of doctors and paramedical staff would also be dispatched to northern areas, while a 10-member medical team was already providing relief to the victims in Shinkiari.
Shabbir Qaimkhani said all sympathies were with the affected families in this time of trial and appealed public to generously donate for welfare of the affectees.
RESCUE WORK: Sindh Minister for Women Development Saeeda Malik chairing a meeting of leading non-governmental organizations said that all women should utilize their energies and resources to help in rescue work.
The minister chalked out a strategy for the collection of goods, particularly required by the women victims. She said that it was not merely the collection, but, the effective management of distribution being an integral requirement for attaining an optimal usage of donations.
The meeting decided for making operative at least 10 camps or pickup points in this context. The coordinating authority will be the Women Development Directorate located at C-33, Block-6, PECHS with telephone numbers 4544494 and 4383831-2.
The minister has appealed for donations of medicines/ food items and blankets on priority basis.
RELIEF CAMPS: The Sindh government has set up provincial relief camp under the supervision of Sindh Relief Commissioner Syed Anwer Hyder at Old Commissioner Office, Club Road.
The provincial government has also set up relief camps in the offices of District Coordination Officers in all districts of Sindh.
The government has asked the general public and different organizations to donate their relief amount and relief goods at these relief camps. The relief goods will be sent to quake-hit areas with the coordination of army.
Anwer Haider notified important telephone numbers for immediate assistance: Sindh Chief Secretary 021-9202049 and 021-9202050; Sindh Chief Relief Commissioner 021-9203407; DCO Karachi 021-9205607 and 021-9205810; Governor’s House Helpline 136; and city government’s helpline 134.
The relief centres set up in the metropolis by the provincial government are located at COD Sharea Faisal near Drigh Road Railway Station, DCO’s Camp Office on Club Road, Bagh-i-Jinnah (Old Polo Ground) on Dr Ziaduddin Ahmed Road and Civic Centre Gulshan-i-Iqbal, he added.
Following the directives of provincial relief commissioner, the city government announced establishment of 22 relief centres in order to facilitate collection of donation and transportation of relief goods for earthquake victims.
NAVY: Pakistan Navy has mobilized it’s assets for establishing 50-bed mobile field hospital in the quake-affected northern areas.
A team of surgeons, specialists and medical staff of PNS Shifa on Wednesday boarded PN aircraft. The aircraft, which flew from PNS Mehran, also carried tents and five tons of medicines for the victims.
The mobile field hospital has the capacity to function at a stretch without re-enforcements for one month. The hospital would also house an operation theatre for surgeries.
Doctors and paramedical teams are equipped with all the necessary medical equipment and medicines. The composition includes surgeons, anaesthetists, orthopaedics, ENT and eye specialists.
Thirty trucks carrying relief goods from 17 camps set up Pakistan Navy were dispatched to railway station for its forward transportation. PN camps are manned round-the-clock and are accepting relief goods as well donations.
CAA: The Civil Aviation Authority has announced exempting all flights bringing relief goods for earthquake-hit areas from landing charges.
“Flights bringing humanitarian aid from donor countries/ agencies are exempted from landing charges at all airports in Pakistan,” a CAA communiqué stated on Wednesday.
NICVD: The National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases has sent surgical team of doctors and paramedics to the affected areas.
HU: A 10-member medical team of Hamdard University hospital left here for Mansehra on Wednesday morning to take part in relief activities.
The team comprised of an orthopaedic surgeon, three general surgeons, three consultant physicians, a paediatrician, an anaesthesiologist, and other medical experts.
The team carried with them 350-kgs of medicines and more than 200 bottles of blood. These blood donations were collected at special relief camps set up at the main and city campuses of Hamdard University. —Agencies