Pak ready to accept Israeli aid for quake victims: President
Says banned outfits won’t be allowed to exploit crisis; nuke facilities fully safe
DM Monitoring

ISLAMABAD—President General Pervez Musharraf in an interview to a foreign channel stated that all the relief efforts are being carried out under strict military surveillance and no banned outfits or miscreants would take advantage of the situation. He said that aid for the quake victims is acceptable from all around the world including Israel and Jewish community.
He said that the terror activities would not be tolerated in such a hard time of relief struggles; further he expressed satisfaction that the Pakistan’s nuke facilities are 200 percent safe following the ruinous natural calamity that hit upper Pakistan more than a week ago.
Prsidnt Musharaf observed that the exact figure of the death toll is too early to declare but death of 50,000 plus people cannot be ruled out.
Online adds: British Secretary of State for International Development Hilary Benn has called on the President General Pervez Musharraf in army house Rawalpindi on Thursday and expressed profound sympathy and grief over the colossal loss of life and property in October, 8 disastrous earthquake.
Benn also conveyed the sentiments of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to the president with reference to devastated quake saying that British people are deeply grieved over the heavy loss of life and property in October 8 disaster. “We will provide all possible assistance to quake victims”, he added.
He informed the President that UK had already committed 13 million pounds for relief assistance and it will be enhanced as the loss caused by the quake is enormous.
Talking to British secretary of state, President General Pervez Musharraf thanked him for providing relief assistance to quake affectees saying “we are grateful to the international community for their full cooperation in this hour of crisis”.
President reiterated government was mobilizing all resources for rehabilitation and reconstruction of quake stricken areas. Work is underway in line with a strategy. An authority has been set up, which is chalking out plans for the rehabilitation and reconstruction, he added. We will reconstruct every destroyed house and jobs will be provided to jobless people, he indicated. Better facilities will be provided to the affectees, he added.
He informed that over 43 thousand people lost their lives in the quake. Army has embarked upon relief activities in organized manner in the affected areas, he added. This is time for patience and equanimity. Government fully stands by the quake victims. We are grateful to the whole international community which is helping us in this hour of test and difficulty and is pledging to assist us in the rehabilitation and reconstruction process.
He went on to say government was fully alive to the miseries and problems facing the affectees. But we will turn this challenge into better opportunity, he vowed.