President offers free movement across LoC
Urges India to allow Kashmiris to help each other in reconstruction - Says all Indian assistance welcomed
except military personnel
Bureau Report

MUZAFFARABAD—President General Pervez Musharraf Tuesday said Pakistan welcomes assistance from the international community including India in the wake of Oct 8 deadly earthquake. Addressing a press conference in the quake-hit capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the President also stated that the Government would allow Kashmiris from across the Line of Control to help their brothers in reconstruction work on this side.
However, he said Pakistan cannot accept the Indian military coming from across the Line of Control. “I am extremely grateful to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who called me and offered assistance — we have accepted all assistance except military men coming across. “There is a sensitivity here, we cannot accept the Indian military coming across the Line of Control on this side”. Other than that, he said, Pakistan has accepted everything including medicines and relief goods from India.
Referring to a suggestion he said, Islamabad welcomes the Indian offer of helicopters and added that the Pakistani pilots would fly them for ferrying relief assistance to the quake-stricken people. President Musharraf said in view of a lot of people on both sides of the LoC wanting to talk to each other and help out each other following the tragedy, he said the Government has decided to allow mobile phone companies to start their service in the area.
“We have decided this to enable the people to have linkages with their brethren across the Line of Control,” he said. Pakistan will allow Kashmiris from across the LoC to come to Azad Jammu and Kashmir to meet and assist their relatives in reconstruction work. However, the President stated that this needed to be formalized between Pakistan and India. He said proposals to open up routes at points other than Muzaffarabad-Srinagar road to facilitate the Kashmiris’ travel across the LoC are under consideration.
President Musharraf also suggested allowing political leaders from the two sides to meet each other. “We will also allow political leaders to interact with each other and assist each other in whatever reconstruction effort is required”. He said this is a suggestion from Pakistan and added that if India agreed “we would like to work out a formality in this regard”. President Musharraf said most of the affected areas had been accessed and very few people remained inaccessible as Pakistan Army had reached the people on foot and also used animals to transport relief goods.
He said Pakistan Army’s medical teams are providing immediate treatment to the quake victims.
Replying to a question, the President stated that he understood the anger of some quake-stricken people whose areas could not be accessed immediately.
“They have undergone a traumatic experience — I understand and accept their anger,” he said.
However, the President emphasized that the Government had been totally sincere in its intentions to reach out the affected people but it was only due to blocked roads that some areas remained difficult to access.
“We tried satellite imagery but no clear pictures were available due to the vertical angle — then Pakistan Air Force had closer aerial photographs, which are now with the Federal Relief Commission, which is using them to reach the cut-off areas.
“Pakistan Army engineers worked day and night to reopen the blocked routes to Muzaffarabad and did it earlier and in a fast manner”.
Answering another question, the President said 450 soldiers of Pakistan Army were killed and around 700 wounded in the earthquake.
Pakistan Army defences also suffered some damage but the morale of troops is very high and quite a part of the damage has been redone.
“They have already done it — the morale of the troops is high and they are setting it right wherever their defences suffered”.
On reconstruction, the President said it should not take as long as 10 years as Pakistan would seek import of modern technology to erect houses on fast-track basis. He said the houses would be fire-proof and quake-proof, having all modern facilities.
He said the people of quake-afflicted areas in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and NWFP are hardy people and they would resile back to normal life.
“They are hardy people — they know how to survive,” he said.
President Musharraf paid glowing tributes to the Pakistani nation for its inspiring response to the national tragedy.
“I have no words to praise the motivation, the Pakistani nation has shown in their brothers’ hour of difficulty.
“We have to show it and together strive for converting this challenge into improvement for the victims”.
Musharraf said Pakistan will have 20 more Chinook helicopters coming from the United States to impart further vigour to relief activities.
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have offered assistance to Pakistan on long-term and soft-term basis, he said and vowed to rebuild lives of victims, orphaned children, widows and the disabled through economic activity and through microfinance and Khushhali Bank’s schemes.