LAHORE, Oct 14: The country does not have even the basic equipment to cope with disasters like the last Saturday’s tremor, but the rulers certainly have money to import bullet-proof cars worth millions.

This was stated by Rana Sanaullah, deputy opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, here on Friday. “It is a matter of national shame and the rulers must realize the gravity of their folly.”

He claimed that the Punjab Assembly must review the relief efforts and point out shortcomings so that things could improve. But, the treasury benches had chosen to heap blind and passionate praise on the government which, he said, was an exercise in self-defeat.

In spite of a five-day lapse, the government had not been able to reach certain areas. People of this country had done a tremendous job and donated relief items as they contributed every item of daily use, he said. But, he added, it was the government that had failed miserably in its duty.

Being an organized force, it should have coordinated the effort and provided quick relief to the victims. Unfortunately, this had not been the case, he said.

Law Minister Raja Basharat, however, tried to defend the government and said it had launched a well coordinated relief operation in the quake-hit areas.

He said the tremor had left 25,000 people dead and 65,000 injured and the casualties were rising. The damage to property was huge and still to be properly estimated.

The federal and provincial relief agencies and the army are constantly coordinating with each other to improve their relief efforts.

Five medical teams, 600 police officials, 40 traffic policemen and thousands of trucks of relief goods had already been sent to the affected areas, he claimed.

The Punjab government would continue dispatching relief goods as long as they were required in the quake-hit areas, he said. Over 5,000 injured people had been brought to Rawalpindi and more and more were being sent to other cities of the province.

The Punjab government had also established four make-shift hospitals and a village comprising 10,000 tents.

It has also announced a grant of Rs100,000 for the heirs of every deceased under areas of its jurisdiction, in addition to grants for the injured.

Other speakers from both sides of the divide largely stuck to their political leanings; opposition members grilled the government for failure to deal with situation and treasury members kept praising the army and the administration.