Grief, hopes surround quake rescue efforts
Body formed to supervise relief operations - Int’l aid, rescue teams pouring in
Mansehra, Muzaffarabad road re-opened
By Our Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD—Federal Cabinet Monday in its special session held here decided to constitute four committees to supervise the relief, rescue and rehabilitation work of the government being carried out for the earthquake affectees in different parts of the country including Azad Kashmir. The special cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz reviewed the progress of rescue and relief operations being undertaken by the government, international and private agencies in the earthquake affected areas.
The Cabinet decided to set up four Cabinet Committees to supervise relief, rescue and rehabilitation of the quake affectees. The Foreign Aid Committee will consist Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adviser for Finance and Minister of State for Economic Affairs. The Local Resources Mobilization Committee will consist Minister for Privatization, Minister for Commerce and Minister for State for Finance, the Committee for AJK will consist of Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Minister for Law and Minister for Population Welfare; and Committee for NWFP will include Minister for Industries, Minister for Tourism and Minister of State for Railways.
The Committees on AJK and NWFP will set up their Camp Offices at Mansehra and Muzaffarabad to supervise the relief operation on the spot aimed at ensuring that relief goods reach the affectees speedily. The Cabinet expressed its satisfaction over restoration of road links between Muzaffarabad and rest of the country and Balakot that will immensely facilitate the rescue and relief operations which were difficult to carry out in view of road blocks and landslides in the area.
Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao informed the cabinet that so far the latest causalities figure is 20,745 in the earthquake. He also gave update to the cabinet about relief operations and the international assistance which has come from the international community for the earthquake victims. The Interior Minister also apprised the cabinet that teams from UK, Spain, France, Japan, Russia, UAE and Iran are already engaged in relief and rescue operations at Muzaffarabad, Mansehra, Balakot, Batgram, and doing a good job. The Minister also said five US Chinook and three other helicopters from the US government will be available today and will help accelerate the rescue and relief operations in the areas. Two German helicopters are already in Pakistan which are under the use of German rescue team consisting 60 contingents.
The Cabinet directed the Ministry of Health to create more facilities to accommodate the injured being flown to the capital for treatment. The federal cabinet decided to hand over Hajj Complex, hostel facilities of Sports Complex and hostel of Ministry of Special Education including CDA Hospital to be used for treatment for those injured in the earthquake. The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Health to make immediate arrangements for spray to save the areas from the spread of diseases. The Health Minister informed the Cabinet that Ministry was in contact with World Health Organization WHO to get vaccines administered among the people of the earthquake regions. Shaukat Aziz also directed Sindh Government and PIA authorities to facilitate the relatives of victims who intend to travel to Islamabad in order to reach the areas in search of their close relatives.
The Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari informed the cabinet that 50 satellite PCOs will be handed over to Special Communication Organization today which will enable the affectees to get in touch with their relatives residing in other parts of the country. The Cabinet expressed its deepest condolences over the colossal loss of lives and property and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls and that Almighty Allah may grant fortitude and courage to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss.
Agencies add: Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Shaukat Sultan on Monday said that rescue and relief operation in the quake devastated areas of NWFP and AJK had been further geared up after the restoration of road links to these areas. A number of rescue teams comprising male and female doctors, specialists, and workers with necessary equipment and food items have been despatched to the quake-hit areas.
Briefing the media on decisions taken by a meeting chaired by President General Pervez Musharraf and also attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, he said the meeting decided to set up a Federal Relief Commission to streamline relief operations in collaboration with the provincial governments, relevant ministries, non-governmental organizations, Red Crescent and other international agencies. “The purpose of the Commission is to coordinate and synergize the help and effort that is coming from NGOs, philanthropists and aid coming from foreign countries and international agencies,” said Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan who also is Press Secretary to the President.
The enormity of the earthquake was so much and the area affected was so massive that it was difficult to reach everyone with in first 24-36 hours, he said. He added that foreign teams are bringing right kind of equipment for the rescue effort. Along with them there are professional rescue teams, field hospitals, which have been assigned to different affected areas.
He said French, Spanish, German, Turkish, UAE, Chinese, Japanese and Iranian teams have been despatched to various quake-hit areas. He expressed the hope that some more teams from abroad would be reaching in a short span.
Sultan said a fleet of 8 helicopters from the US had arrived and five of these were MI-17 transport type while three others were Chinooks. He confirmed 20,000 deaths and over 50,000 injured in the Saturday’s quake and aftershocks.
He said Pakistan Army had lost more than 300 soldiers and over 500 were injured in the affected areas. Sultan said the first priority of the rescue operators is to find the people still alive and rescue them while the second would be to evacuate bodies under the rubble for burial, besides providing tents and food to survivors.
Shifting of the critically injured to safe areas for appropriate treatment is also on the priority list and as so far around 2000 injured have been evacuated to various Military Hospitals in Rawalpinid, Gujranwala, Jehlum, Kharian, Mangla and Lahore. He said 26 helicopters of Army, Airforce and other civil organisations are taking part in the relief and rescue operation besides the C-130 aircraft of Airforce.
So far 82 sorties have been undertaken by these helicopters which have supplied 7 tonnes of medicines, 12 tonnes of rations and 2 tones of water in the affected ares. He said the medicine and ration have been supplied from the reserved stocks of Pakistan army. He said that Pakistan army has established six forward operation bases for smooth relief and rescue operation in the most devastated areas. These bases include each at Balakot, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Batgram and Mansehra. From these bases the helicopters would carry forward the relief supplies and rescue operators to the far flung areas, he added.
He said provision of temporary accommodation facilities, drinking water, food, medicines, blankets are the other areas on which the relief activities are focusing. He said troops of Pakistan Army have moved to the affected areas to carry out relief operations and in those areas where their number was minimal their number has been sufficiently replenished.
Pakistan Monday appreciated an overwhelming response by the international community to its request for emergency assistance to cope with the situation in the aftermath of the weekend destructive earthquake. Foreign Office spokes-person Tasnim Aslam told newsmen in Islamabad that many countries were sending helicopters, rescue teams, sniffer dogs, specialized equipment, foodstuff and medicines. Earthquake experts, equipped with hi-tech instruments and sniffer dogs, from Germany, the UK, France, Turkey, Jordan, China, Japan, Spain, Russia, the US and Saudi Arabia started arriving Pakistan late Sunday and many of them had already been dispatched to the affected areas.
Some eight American Chinook helicopters based in neighbouring Afghanistan were scheduled to reach Pakistan later in the day to reinforce rescue operations, she added. The United Kingdom was the first to dispatch a 15-member team that was helping the local relief workers at Margalla Towers in Islamabad. It has sent another team of 88, which has been divided into different teams and being sent to Muzaffarabad for rescue and relief operation.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) have sent two special flights carrying 70 member rescue team and two sniffer dogs, which have been earmarked for Mansehra. A 25-member French that arrived on Sunday with necessary earthquake related equipment left for Rawalakot this morning for relief work.
Turkey has despatched 100-member rescue team with equipment that has already left for Muzaffarabad while two C-130s carrying relief goods from Jordan are expected to arrive in Islamabad shortly, she added. A 50-member Chinese rescue team has been sent to Balakot. The country has also pledged financial assistance worth 6.2 million dollars, five tonnes of aids goods and six sniffer dogs for help in relief operations.
The spokeswoman told newsmen that two Japanese rescue teams arrived in Lahore on Sunday and were on their way to Batagram. A 26-member Spainish team with six sniffer dogs has been sent to Bagh through helicopter for carrying rescue work there.
Russian Government has sent 43 specialists, special vehicles and sniffer dogs which were being sent to the AJK capital. The spoke-person said Russia is sending another special flight with relief goods and rescue team that is scheduled to reach Islamabad today. It will be sent to Muzaffarabad.
President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday visited Military Hospital, Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad to enquire about the health of the injured evacuated from different areas of Azad Kashmir. The President enquired about the wellbeing of the injured and encouraged them to be brave in this hour of trial. The President assured them that Government and the Armed Forces were taking all possible measures and moved all their resources to mitigate the sufferings of the earthquake victims. “This is a colossal damage and could be addressed with concerted efforts by all of us. We are trying to reach the remote areas as well,” the President said.
The injured evacuated from different areas of Azad Kashmir told the President that after the collapse of all infrastructure only Pakistan Army was able to reach there and rescued them. They said, in this situation Pakistan Army is doing a wonderful job by evacuating the injured from the affected areas and sending them to different hospitals in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and other areas for treatment. They demanded that more troops should be sent in these areas so that the relief and rescue work can be expedited. They told the President that they still need massive support for relief and rescue work as a large number of people are still stuck up. They also requested President Musharraf to make special arrangement for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the dislocated population.