HEC, PARC employees donate one day salary to earthquake victims
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—Higher Education Commission (HEC) has donated one-day salary of all employees for the victims of earthquake.
The relief goods purchased out of this money containing tents, blankets, medicines and water were dispatched to Muzaffarabad on Monday. The HEC has also constituted teams which will be sent to Hazara University (Dhodhial Mansehra) University of Malakand (Chakdara Dir Malakand) and University of AJK (Muzaffarabad) to assess the damage to these universities by the earthquake and the amount required for their rehabilitation.
A relief cell has also been set up at HEC to coordinate relief efforts of HEC and all public sector universities.
Chairman Higher Education Commission has written to all Vice Chancellors of public sector universities, requesting the employees to donate one day salary for the quake victims.
He has also asked them so set up relief cells in their universities and mobilize students and faculty to collect funds to be donated to the President's Relief Fund.
Students have also been requested to make personal efforts and contributions on voluntary basis in the rehabilitation.
The monitoring teams constituted to assess the amount of damage caused by earthquake at Hazara University Mansehra, University of Malakand Chakdara Dir, Malakand and University of AJK Muzaffarabad will leave soon.
The HEC has decided to allocate special funds for the rehabilitation of the three universities. The amount of funds will be decided on the basis of reports by HEC teams which will work in coordination with the university authorities. Chairman HEC, in his capacity as the Coordinator General of COMSTECH has also written letter to Ministers for Science and Technology of OIC member countries, asking them to contribute in the President's Relief Fund.
Meanwhile, a condolence meeting was held Monday at Higher Education Commission to offer Fateha for the departed souls. All officers and staff of HEC attended the meeting.
The meeting finalized HEC strategy to contribute into governments' efforts in the rehabilitation work. Addressing the meeting Prof. Atta called it a national tragedy which required concerted personal efforts by all citizens of Pakistan. He also highlighted the measures the HEC was taking to mobilize relief supports at national level through all universities in Pakistan.
Addressing the meeting Executive Director, HEC Prof. Dr. S. Sohail H Naqvi said a massive amount of rehabilitation work and a sustained effort spread over a long period is required to repair the damage and rehabilitate the affected people and area completely.
He asked the HEC employees to generously contribute in the relief fund. HEC relief cell will coordinate with relief cells at all universities to make contributions in President's Relief Fund.
Pakistan Agricultural Research Council's (PARC) employees too, on the other hand, have decided to contribute one day salary of its employees towards President's Relief Fund, to help quake victims across the country. The decision was taken in a meeting of PARC's Executive Committee (EC) held here Monday with Dr. Muhammad E. Tusneem, Chairman PARC in chair.
Presiding over the meeting, Dr. Tusneem expressed his deep sense of shock and grief over the massive loss of life in October 8 devastating earthquake in different parts of the country including Azad Kashmir.
The meeting expressed sympathy with the affected people and discussed various measures for donating relief goods to the quake victims.