Unspoken words, silent prayers of unending miseries
By Uzma Zafar

It might’ve taken two steel birds ramming into the twin towers of World Trade Center to rock the world at 9/11 but it just took a strong jolt of earth to move the small city Islamabad and destroy the two towers of Margalla Towers to be exact. But the aftermath of the quake did not confine to the Towers only that were built off the substandard material, though it’s caving in has raised eyebrows of the masses and fears have developed within the hearts of residents of the similar high-rise buildings that have got cracks due to the quakes and the ones too that always had them in the first place, again due to substandard material circulated, administered and used by the Capital Development Authority; CDA, in the buildings.
Where camps have been set up at various market places and residential area, under open air and within the confines of various offices, including Imran Khan’s Relief Camp and Fakhr-e-Alam’s Citizens’ Relief Camp at F-10 Markaz only, there truckloads of relief goods are being sent to the affected areas as well. Employees of different government organizations have already donated funds off their salaries, for quake affectees’ relief. Moreover, camp hospitals have been set up all over the city to accommodate those of the quake victims that have been treated at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences; PIMS, Poly Clinic, Capital Hospital, Shifa International Hospital and various others.
Patients from all over the country have been accommodated in the twin city hospitals and various camp hospitals set all around. CDA, under the Interior Ministry has set up camp hospitals at Sports Complex and Community Center; Aabpara while District Administration has established it’s separate camp hospital at F-10 Markaz while relief camps for flood affectees have been set up at all the major markets of each sector, including CDA established ones at Community Center; G-9 with the name of Medical Relief Cell in collaboration of SAHR NGO, PIMS, Iqbal Hall, around Sitara Market and the one adjoining G-6 flats that have been informally taken over by quake affectees who are demanding residential facilities at the area by the way, along many other private ones.
Margalla Towers’ search operation ends
After pulling out 17 survivors and 68 dead bodies from the debris off the Margalla Towers, during day and night operations, the rescue teams finally called it a day here Wednesday night. Sources at Emergency Operation Cell set up at the site told The Daily Mail that 17 had been taken out while 68 dead bodies were recovered from the Margalla Towers rubble. However, 9 were still reported missing but the search operation at the site was to be ended by the night, they said which Dr.Noreen at PIMS Camp seconded.
Optimistic victims greet visitors at Sports Complex
Minds that have suffered heavy blows as roof caved in, legs that have been fractured and in most cases, rendered crippled, yet faces full of hope, optimism, radiance and pleasantness, meet the visitors at CDA Camp Hospital, Sports Complex. Most of the quake victims at the said CDA Camp Hospital, set up since 8-10 days, under Interior Ministry, contains patients from as far as Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Chakoti, Garadopatta, all having but one similarity, being affected from the earth tremor that hit the country on 8th October; Saturday.
Out of 150 beds’ capacity, the hospital has so far 122 patients while the number of kid patients is ever increasing and in fact, 10 more were admitted in this Wednesday morning, during the visit of this DM correspondent, adding up to the officially registered figure. The quake victims being rehabilitated at the hospital mostly have head injuries, leg and abdominal fractures, the later being in most cases. Volunteers from Bali Memorial Help and from various institutions, are seen tendering the quake victims along 5 doctors; 3 of CDA and 2 others.
Huma Karala, a friendly lady from Chakoti, long her husband three days prior to the earthquake and was holding his qul when the earth shivered and caught her in the leg, fracturing it very badly, in the process. With memories of 11/2 year of married life and an 11 month old baby to take care of, Huma held with lost eyes that she has asked her mother-in-law to send in her deceased husband’s picture which she doesn’t know, if would be able to face ever again or not for it meant that she would have to come to terms to the fact that the man was no more in her life.
The son attendant of a very, very old lady with wrinkles telling the bittersweet tale of the struggles of her life, when asked the age of his mother, to the onlooker’s utter amazement, he said 45. When asked again that it was not his age being question, though would’ve been more than 45 anyway but his mother’s, he innocently stated again that it was 45. Perhaps he knew no country at 45! Another simpleton lady invites the visitors to her village that she misses and says that it possesses all the facilities of life, yet have been destroyed in the earthquake.
The hospital was found to be providing real relief to the quake victims with separate rooms for men and women, till a pinching stench touched the nostrils, coming from the Children Ward the reason of which was later revealed that the gutter had overflowed. Poor kids! CDA would be CDA! The attendants said that the cleaning up procedure could take hours!
Quake victims at Community Center demand tents, jobs
The situation at CDA Camp Hospital at Community Center is not so good. 280 of the masses have been settled at the two halls within the place as well as the ground outside, out of which 160 remain earthquake victims while others are attendants. The quake affectees have no beds to rest upon, not even makeshift ones, and are thrown on solid ground to lie upon. Quake victims from Muzaffarabad, Battal, Bagh, Chakoti and similar affected areas of AJK are thus, languishing at the makeshift hospital called Khubaib Relief Village, many catching cold due to being exposed under chilly, open sky, at nights.
These patients comprise of those who have been discharged from PIMS and other hospitals, after operations, surgeries and medical treatment. From the old man with a leg fracture that he got while he was lifting stones working as a labourer at Muzarrabad, to the families in and around the rooms and ground area, masses are demanding tents and jobs to serve their likelihood.
One Omer taking care of brother Imran Ali Shah, hailing from Bagh; AJK, cried to The Daily Mail, “Our mother and sisters have died in the quake. Imran had an intestinal operation at PIMS. He is in extreme pain and cannot eat real food while liquid diet is not available here. He is shifted from one place to another, without real treatment. He cannot even get up but due to lack of space, he is shifted to Police Lines, Poly Clinic and now Community Center while the word is that he is to be shifted somewhere else again.” “We are poor people and my brother is in critical condition. One doctor comes in the day and no medical attendant is found otherwise. How would he survive like this, without any diet and proper care”, he wailed.
Another affectee; Altaf Hussein, hailing from Muzaffarabad, demanded that though Sardar Sikandar Hyatt has given the statement that he feels like being the PM of a graveyard, well, he or Minister of Forests; AJK; Ali Akbar, have not even shown their faces to the AJK quake affectees. He stated that a gentle word from the leaders in person would’ve given hope to quake victims like him. Jamat-e-Ismali worker; Sajid Abbasi disclosed to The Daily Mail that foodstuff was in ample stock at the store room of the camp hospital but the administration refused to distribute among the quake victims.
Muhammad Ashraf; a security guard at some school in Murree, expressed that he had come to the Capital city to get some tents for his family. However, he was going back the evening as he couldn’t get any help from here. Others of the masses demanded tents and jobs at large, to earn their likelihood saying that they used to work there and wanted to do the same while here, for better living. Victims kept showing their IDs for identification, for better distribution of tents to them. A little girl kid was found begging on the other hand who was lightly scolded by JI worker present at the occasion. However, if the conditions remain the same for these people, begging might become the trend then! This is a point that the authorities need to look up to!
Quake affectees being provided relief at F-10 Markaz
In the best condition are probably those kept at F-10 Markaz. 62 patients from various quake-affected parts of AJK, discharged from PIMS, due to lack of beds, have settled at the place. 14 doctors in 3 shifts are looking after the quake victims at the hospital, having leg and arm fractures and head injuries. The Camp Hospital has surprisingly been set up not by CDA this time but District Administration and a local NGO Shelter and was set up some 3 days back. Shelter International’s President and prominent PML(Q) leader; Dr.Amjad is supervising the project. “We are providing financial and voluntary assistance while the District Administration is handling the administrative side”, he said.
Where the world community is assisting the quake victims in the affected areas all over the country, there the shifting of the affectees to the Federal Capital has created great problems for the District Administration. In fact, rapid aid is needed over here as well. As there are not many medical staff or hospitals at the small city, it is thus suggested that these quake-affectees be shifted to bigger cities like Lahore and Karachi too, where there are better medical facilities. On the other hand, the world leaders should come to this part of the country too, for distributing aid to the quake victims. Besides, the ones who can earn should not be given soft loans but encouraged on small jobs so that the trend of begging might not become the destiny of the nation at large. Only then we would be able to reach out to our brothers and sisters in the hour of need and ease their sufferings with a loving heart!