IDB offers $251m quake relief package
OIC to set up quake disaster fund
By Uzma Zafar

ISLAMABAD—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Sunday appreciating the cooperation of Islamic countries in the relief and rehabilitation work for the devastated October 8 earthquake said their support gave strength and energy to Pakistan for ensuring prompt supply of food and medicines in the affected areas.
Talking to newsmen after meeting with Secretary General Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoghu and President Islamic Development Bank Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali here at Prime Minister House Shaukat Aziz thanked the support and assistance of Islamic countries.
The Prime Minister said President IDB had also agreed to acquire tents from Saudi Arabia for quake hit people.
Shaukat Aziz said Pakistan as an active member of OIC had been working closely with the organization and contributing in its endeavours to prepare for Makkah Summit being held later in December to reinvigorate the association of Muslim countries.
The President of IDB Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali announced a relief package of the Bank amounting to US $ 251.6 million which included grant, soft loans and other financial concession for Pakistan to help the quake victims.
Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali said the IDB has singed the agreement with Pakistan in this regard and assured that the Bank would provide maximum assistance and help to Pakistan in this critical phase.
The agreement to this effect was signed this morning by Minister of State on Economic Affairs Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar and President of Islamic Development Bank Dr. Ahmed Muhammad Ali at a simple ceremony.
The Secretary General OIC Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoghu talking to reporters said he came here to personally condole with Pakistan on the loss of lives in the devastated earthquake.
He said all the members of the OIC are concerned and sharing the sorrow and grief of Pakistan due to the tragedy of earthquake. Dr. Ekmeleddin said 70 per cent of the aid out of the total support to Pakistan in this earthquake is from the member states of OIC.
He said the OIC would carry on its duty to help its members in the hour of need and said it had learn the lessons from Tsunami and now massive destruction in Pakistan and preparing a strategy to tackle such disasters in future.
The OIC Secretary General said a comprehensive strategy in this regard would be presented in the forthcoming OIC summit being held in Makkah in December this year.
He prayed for the eternal peace for those who lost their lives and for early recovery of the injured.
Replying to a question about his visit to Pakistan after two weeks of the disaster, the Secretary General OIC said he was in contact with Pakistan and other members of the Organization right from day one of the quake.
He said he continued the contact with all the members of the OIC and added that out of the total relief goods and assistance to Pakistan, 70 per cent is from the members of OIC.
He said the contribution of IDB is also on the motivation of OIC while, it had been still working closely with members states and Pakistan to generate more funds.
Earlier, during the meeting with Prime Minister, they were briefed about the massive relief operation and latest situation of the work done by Pakistan government with the help of international community for the help of quake affected population.
Later, the Prime Minister hosted an iftar dinner in honour of Secretary General OIC and President IDB.
APP adds: President General Pervez Musharraf Sunday expressed Pakistan’s gratitude to the international community and the Muslim Ummah for extending immediate rescue and relief assistance following Oct 8’s catastrophic earthquake but renewed his call for sustained world assistance in the challenging reconstruction and rehabilitation stages ahead.
Speaking to Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference, Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and President Islamic Development Bank, Ahmed Mohamed Ali, who called on him, the President also underlined the need for setting up a permanent fund at the OIC to deal with such like disasters in the Muslim world.
“The Government and the people of Pakistan are extremely thankful to the world community including Islamic countries for extending direly needed rescue and relief help in the wake of the calamity.
“The immediate world response helped save thousands of lives and evacuate the injured or treatment” he observed.
However, the President stated that the earthquake left millions of people shelterless and devastated houses, infrastructure and government buildings over a large area of NWFP and Azad Kashmir and Pakistan needs continued assistance from the international community in meeting the colossal challenge of restoring these.
“This is a challenge of huge proportions for any country or the government—and we will do our utmost to live up to the task — but we need continued international assistance in the form of finances as well as expertise to reconstruct houses, hospitals, schools and infrastructure.
“We will also need investment to rebuild millions of lives affected by the calamity”, he emphasized.
Discussing the need for having a separate fund at the OIC for addressing such like disasters, the President said this would help provide prompt and coordinated assistance to any member in the hour of need.
President Musharraf informed the two dignitaries about the hectic efforts the country is making to provide tent cover to the affected people in view of impending winter in the mountainous areas of NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The OIC Secretary General and the IDB Chief expressed their heartfelt sorrow and condolences over heavy losses of lives and damage wrought by the disaster and expressed their full support and solidarity with the people and the government of Pakistan.
During, their visit, they said they saw the scale of damage in Muzaffarabad and had an aerial view of damage in Balakot and other areas of NWFP.
They said Pakistan deserves appreciation for its speedy rescue and relief operations in the face of the large-scale disaster.
Pakistan, they said, has been playing a leading role in projecting the causes of the Muslim world and the entire Muslim world stands by it at this difficult moment.
“We will assist Pakistan in the challenging reconstruction and rehabilitation phase to see the country come out of this trying period”, the OIC Secretary General said.