Rehabilitation process to take 5 years: Kasuri

DUBAI—Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri has thanked UAE for its generous aid for the October 8 earthquake affectees in Pakistan. Addressing a press conference here, he said subject to global help we can complete the rehabilitation within a span of 5-years. He lambasted certain sections of press who misquoted President Musharraf’s statement regarding world aid. He said that what President meant was that this aid was insufficient for complete rehabilitation. He also thanked India for providing aid. He said that UN has declared the quake worse than Tsunami, and has affected the infrastructure of some 26000 Sq kilometers of area. He said that Pakistan alone cannot cope with such crisis. According to initial survey, rehabilitation would ordinarily take about ten years to complete, but aid from the global community could reduce this time span to five years. He said every effort is being made for reunion of the families of Kashmirison either side of the border. He also thanked the UAE government for their generous aid. He said that his main reason for visit to UAE was to visit the wounded, who have been shifted here for special treatment. He also thanked Pakistani community for their generous donations.
He lauded the rescue and relief services of Pakistan Army, praising their selfless and prompt call to duty. He said that government was contemplating stern action against hoarders and profiteers. Responding to a question, the Minister said some media reports had wrongly quoted President General Pervez Musharraf on international assistance. The President had appreciated the quick response by the international community but his remarks on the inadequacy of assistance were in reference to the total requirement including reconstruction, which according to initial estimates, is well above US $ 5 billion, he clarified. Responding to a question, the Minister said Pakistan was grateful to the Indian offer for assistance in the aftermath of the quake which also caused loss of life and property in Indian Occupied Kashmir. He said efforts were being made to help divided families living on either side of the Line of Control (LoC) to meet and help each other in this difficult time. The Foreign Minister said he was here to express the profound gratitude of the Pakistan government and the people to UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zaid and his brothers for their whole-hearted support to the quake-hit victims in Pakistan. He said the love and affection late Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan Al Nahyan had for Pakistan has been inherited by his sons who showed tremendous support in this hour of need. The Foreign Minister said he also called on Sheikh Hamdan bin Zaid Al Nahyan and invited him to visit Pakistan. His visit would contribute to further cementing multi-faceted ties between the two countries, he added. Kasuri said his brief trip to the UAE was also meant to visit those wounded affectees who had been brought here for treatment by the UAE government in yet another show of deep fraternal ties between Pakistan and UAE.
The Foreign Minister said that along with the UAE government, he would also like to extend his gratitude to overseas Pakistanis and other communities who helped and shared grief of their brethren in Pakistan. He appreciated the work of many Pakistanis who were voluntarily working and helping the Pakistani embassy staff in sending relief goods. Replying to a question, the Minister said that relief goods were being delivered to the quake-affected people, specially those living on hill-tops and in far-flung hamlets. He praised the dedication and commitment of the Pakistan armed forces to the rescue and relief efforts and said many soldiers were carrying goods on their back to help people in areas inaccessible by land routes. Helicopters were also being used to drop relief goods in remote areas and evacuate wounded. The Foreign Minister said that the United States had promised to provide another 20 to 24 choppers in addition to their existing fleet already engaged in the relief efforts. Replying to a question, Mr. Kasuri said, the government was moving very strongly against those elements who were trying to exploit peoples’ predicaments by raising prices of tents and cargo charges. But such elements were a very few in number as the entire Pakistani nation had shown unprecedented unity to help their quake-stricken people. Later, the Foreign Minister visited the Zaid military hospital where people, critically wounded by the earthquake, had been brought for medical treatment.—Agencies